Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of healthy controls (HCs), interstitial lung disease (IPF) and patients with COVID included in the study
| HCs | IPF | COVID | P value | |
| Number | 108 | 53 | 148 | |
| Sex (male %) | 36% | 75% | 62% | <0.001 |
| Age (years) (median, IQR) | 52.5, 31.25–69 | 72, 64–78 | 71, 58–82 | <0.001 |
| % of patients with heart failure | NA | 0% | 16% | NS |
| % of patients with hypertension | NA | 46% | 35% | NS |
| % of patients with COPD | NA | 0% | 8% | NS |
| % of patients with type two diabetes | NA | 10% | 15% | NS |
| % of current smoker patients—% ex-smokers | NA | 0%–61% | 4%–35% | NS |
| Neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (median, IQR) | NA | NA | 5.88, 2,90–10,90 | NA |
| Total monocytes (median, IQR) | NA | NA | 0.51×103/mmc, 0,32–0.73×103/mmc | NA |
| Total basophils (median, IQR) | NA | NA | 0.02×103/mmc, 0.01–0.03×103/mmc | NA |
| C reactive protein (median, IQR) | NA | NA | 5.40 mg/dL, 2.09–12.36 mg/dL | NA |
| PO2/FiO2 ratio (median, IQR) | NA | NA | 2.18, 1.58–3.13 | NA |
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NA, not applicable; NS, not significant.