| dc.description.abstract | The properties of the inflammatory response depend on the quality, intensity, and duration of the insult (e.g., microorganism, foreign molecule, trauma, burn, and infarct), as well as on the individual and the affected tissue. Moreover, an inflammatory process could be acute or chronic and it is mediated chiefly by the innate or the specific immune system. The main components of innate immunity are physical and chemical barriers (e.g., epithelia and antimicrobial substances), blood proteins (e.g., complement factors), phagocytic cells (e.g., neutrophils and macrophages), and other leukocytes (e.g., natural killer cells). On the other hand, the principal components of the specific immunity are humoral (antibodies) and cellular (CD4+T cells). The specific immune response amplifies the mechanism of innate immunity and enhances their function, particularly upon repeated exposures to the same foreign antigen. Inflammation is a progressive process that shows overlapping phases. Whereas the acute unspecific response is characterized by hernodynamic, metabolic, and cellular changes, the specific response begins with the recognition of the antigen by specific lymphocytes, followed by their proliferation and differentiation into effector cells. | |
