I had BOOP Pneumonia. Nothing but inflammation that attack the lungs. Autoimmune? I think so! You can't catch BOOP. It will take you out in the short run but if it comes on slowly, you can grab it by the horns and get rid of it. Of course the pulmonologists want to put you on Prednisone. I was on that crap/garbage for 6 months and the tapering off was hellish. I hate Prednisone. It will destroy your bones and give you cataracts. I hate Prednisone and will never take it again! It was hell and made me crazy along with the pie face and hair loss. I took the bull by the horns and Erythormycin, the antibiotic, will destroy inflammation in the lungs. It takes longer but will do the same as the hellish Prednisone. I got this information from a pulmonolgist who wrote about BOOP PNEUMONIA! He told me to take the antibiotc, Erythomycin -(sorry about the mispelling). Inflammatory bowel issues may be able to be helped by this great and old antibitotc and we don't have to put our body in dire straits with Prednisone. Dr. Fine, an endocrinologist informed me that tissue in our gut and lungs are similar or the same. There's other stuff to take besides deadly Prednisone. Not even doctors prescribe this awful drug to their kids but they give us Prednisone like candy. Bad State of Affairs.