Chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation occurs when physiological tissue repair is disrupted or stopped for some reason. This situation can occur as a result of a persistent infectious process' which the immune system cannot deal with for a long time, also as a result of autoimmune disease' or for example as a factor of extensive trauma', during which pro-inflammatory substances are physiologically excreted. It can arise as a result of repeated or untreated acute inflammation, but also as primarily chronic. It is always pathological - harming the organism.



Cellular infiltration
During chronic inflammation, a massive tissue infiltration occurs, mainly by cells of the immune system, which migrate here from the bloodstream. Cell migration is mainly controlled chemotactic in response to pro-inflammatory substances (cytokines, etc.). Immune cell elements are represented by lymphocytes, eosinophils, macrophages, plasma cells and dendritic cells.

Furthermore, at the site of inflammation, there is a significant amount of fibroblasts, which constantly produce tissue and therefore places of chronic inflammation are usually encapsulated by hard tissue tissue, and last but not least, there are also endothelial cells.

Related Articles

 * Inflammation
 * Acute inflammation
 * Rheumatoid Arthritis
 * Chronic (autoimmune) thyroiditis

External link

 * Article from the pub med database: Obesity and cancer: the role of adipose tissue and adipo-cytokines-induced chronic inflammation.