Immunological mediators of wound healing and fibrosis.

T-lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages, which are the central constituents of immunological and chronic inflammatory reactions, generate numerous polypeptides and other factors capable of stimulating and modulating the proliferation and functions of fibroblasts. These principles differ widely in structure, target cell preference, and functional specificity. The involvement of immunological mediators of fibroblast activities in normal wound healing has not been defined, but a role in some chronic fibrosing disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, has been suggested by the findings of functionally relevant concentrations in affected tissues. The elucidation of both the pathways of production of fibroblast-activating factors (FAFs) and the determinants of fibroblast responses will permit new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of deficiencies in wound healing and of abnormal fibrosis.