The present invention relates to an isolated soluble CCR6 receptor polypeptide capable of binding to CCL18 and/or CCL20 and to a method for quantifying the concentration of a soluble CCR6 receptor polypeptide in a liquid sample from a subject. The present invention also relates to a method for detecting and/or prognosticating an interstitial lung disease or a cancer in a subject by determining the level of a soluble CCR6 receptor polypeptide in a sample from said subject and further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound capable of inhibiting the activity and/or the expression of CCL18 or CCL20 for the treatment of said diseases. The present invention further relates to an isolated polypeptide capable of binding to and inhibiting the activity of the chemokine receptor CCR6 and to a method for identifying further inhibitors of CCR6 receptor activity. The present invention also relates to a method for detecting an interstitial lung disease or a cancer in a subject by determining the level of CCR6 gene expression in a sample from said subject and further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising inhibitors of CCR6 receptor activity and/or expression for the treatment of said diseases.La présente invention a pour objet un polypeptide récepteur CCR6 soluble isolé capable de se lier à CCL18 et/ou à CCL20 et un procédé pour quantifier la concentration dun polypeptide récepteur CCR6 soluble dans un échantillon de liquide issu dun sujet. La présente invention concerne aussi une méthode de détection et/ou de pronostic dune maladie pulmonaire interstitielle ou dun cancer chez un sujet par la détermination du niveau dun polypeptide récepteur CCR6 soluble dans un échantillon issu dudit sujet et concerne en outre une composition pharmaceutique comprenant un composé capable dinhiber lactivité et/ou lexpression de CCL18 ou de CCL20 pour le traitement desdites maladies. La présente invention concerne en outre un polypeptide isolé capable de se lier à et di
