Inflammation
Inflammation
is a process by which white blood cell in the body and chemicals protect the
body infection and foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses.
The
defence mechanism of body inappropriately triggers an inflammatory response
when there are no foreign substances to fight off, these are called autoimmune
diseases, where the protective immune system causes damage to its own tissues.
when the tissue injury releases the inflammation mediators cause inflammation.
These chemicals release from the site of injury such as histamine, kinin,
prostaglandins leukotrines and white blood cells.
Inflammation (from Latin: inflammatio)
is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli,
such as pathogens,
damaged cells, or irritants,[1] and
is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels,
and molecular mediators. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the
initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from
the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair.
The
five classical signs of inflammation are
heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of
function (Latin calor, dolor, rubor, tumor,
and functio laesa). Inflammation is a generic response, and
therefore it is considered as a mechanism of innate immunity, as compared to adaptive immunity, which is specific for
each pathogen. Too little inflammation could lead to progressive tissue
destruction by the harmful stimulus (e.g. bacteria) and compromise the survival
of the organism. In contrast, chronic inflammation may lead to a host of
diseases, such as hay fever, periodontitis, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer
(e.g., gallbladder carcinoma). Inflammation is
therefore normally closely regulated by the body.
Inflammation
can be classified as either acute or chronic.
Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and
is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes)
from the blood into the injured tissues. A series of biochemical events
propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular
system, the immune system,
and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation, known
as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type
of cells present at the site of inflammation, such as mononuclear cells, and is characterized by
simultaneous destruction and healing of
the tissue from the inflammatory process.
