Endogenous control and modulation of inflammation.

Inflammation is the body's reaction to invasion by an infectious agent, antigen challenge or even just physical, chemical or traumatic damage. To avoid damage of the surrounding tissue, inflammatory responses must be well ordered and controlled. The development of inflammatory reactions is mainly controlled by vasoactive substances, cytokines, products of the plasma enzyme systems, bioactive lipids, and adhesive reactions between individual inflammatory cells or between them and molecules of extracellular matrix. The mediators of inflammation controlling different types of inflammatory reactions differ. This review briefly describes the role of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including chemoattractant cytokines (chemokines), acute phase reactants, and the molecular mechanism of leucocyte emigration from the postcapillary venules.