Contributors
CS and HR conceived the idea and developed the study design. CS, SC, DF, GR, CSe, SS, AG, AV collected clinical and laboratory data. HRC conducted data analysis. CS, AnK, DF, AlK, MX and HR reviewed the literature. CS wrote the initial draft, and all authors were involved in commenting on subsequent revisions. All authors are the guarantors. All authors had full access to all relevant data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
Acknowledgements: Funding sources
CS is supported by the Universities Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Hospital Giessen and Marburg (UKGM) research funding according to article 2, section 3 cooperation agreement, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)- SFB 1021 (Project-ID 197785619), KFO 309 (P10), and SK 317/1-1 (Project-ID 428518790) as well as by the Foundation for Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics.