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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by the accumulation of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts and aberrant remodeling of the lung parenchyma. However, the sources of fibroblasts in IPF lungs are unclear. Fibrocytes are circulating progenitors of fibroblasts implicated in wound healing and fibrosis. In this study we evaluated evidence for the presence of fibrocytes in the lung of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Fibrocytes were identified in tissues in 8 out of 9 fibrotic lungs. Combinations including CXCR4 and a mesenchymal marker stained significantly more fibrocytes/mm² of tissue compared with combinations using CD34 or CD45RO with mesenchymal markers: CXCR4/procollagen-I (10.3±2.9fibrocytes/mm²) and CXCR4/prolyl-4-hydroxylase (4.1±3.1), versus CD34/procollagen-I (2.8±3.0), CD34/αSMA (2.2±1.6) and CD45RO/prolyl-4-hydroxylase (1.3 …