多项研究表明,病毒感染与IPF之间具有可能的关联。病毒病原体包括丙型肝炎病毒、[21]Ueda T, Ohta K, Suzuki N, et al. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and high prevalence of serum antibodies to hepatitis C virus. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992;146:266-268.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1320820?tool=bestpractice.com[22]Irving WL, Day S, Johnston ID. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and hepatitis C virus infection. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993;148:1683-1684.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7504894?tool=bestpractice.com[23]Meliconi R, Andreone P, Fasano L, et al. Incidence of hepatitis C virus infection in Italian patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Thorax. 1996;51:315-317.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8779139?tool=bestpractice.com腺病毒、[24]Kuwano K, Nomoto Y, Kunitake R, et al. Detection of adenovirus E1A DNA in pulmonary fibrosis using nested polymerase chain reaction. Eur Respir J. 1997;10:1445-1449.http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/reprint/10/7/1445http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9230228?tool=bestpractice.com[25]Turner-Warwick M. In search of a cause of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA): one initiating factor or many? Thorax. 1998;53(suppl 2):S3-S9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10193340?tool=bestpractice.com巨细胞病毒 (CMV)[26]Yonemaru M, Kasuga I, Kusumoto H, et al. Elevation of antibodies to cytomegalovirus and other herpes viruses in pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir J. 1997;10:2040-2045.http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/reprint/10/9/2040http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9311499?tool=bestpractice.com[27]Tang YW, Johnson JE, Browning PJ, et al. Herpesvirus DNA is consistently detected in lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:2633-2640.http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/41/6/2633?view=long&pmid=12791891http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12791891?tool=bestpractice.com[28]Dworniczak S, Ziora D, Kapral M, et al. Human cytomegalovirus DNA level in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004;55(suppl 3):67-75.http://www.jpp.krakow.pl/journal/archive/09_04_s3/pdf/67_09_04_s3_article.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15611595?tool=bestpractice.com和 EB 病毒 (EBV)。[29]Vergnon JM, Vincent M, de The G, et al. Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and Epstein-Barr virus: an association? Lancet. 1984;2:768-771.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6148520?tool=bestpractice.com[30]Stewart JP, Egan JJ, Ross AJ, et al. The detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999;159:1336-1341.http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/ajrccm.159.4.9807077#.UmEUt9glgZkhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10194186?tool=bestpractice.com[31]Kelly BG, Lok SS, Hasleton PS, et al. A rearranged form of Epstein-Barr virus DNA is associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002;166:510-513.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12186829?tool=bestpractice.com
其他研究表明肺炎支原体或嗜肺军团菌在肺纤维化的发病中起作用。[34]Kaufman JM, Cuvelier CA, Van der Straeten M. Mycoplasma pneumonia with fulminant evolution into diffuse interstitial fibrosis. Thorax. 1980;35:140-144.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7376118?tool=bestpractice.com[35]Chastre J, Raghu G, Soler P, et al. Pulmonary fibrosis following pneumonia due to acute Legionnaires' disease. Clinical, ultrastructural, and immunofluorescent study. Chest. 1987;91:57-62.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3539546?tool=bestpractice.com然而,这些小样本的研究中仍不能确定,由此所致的纤维化是否与IPF是相同的临床疾病。