Inflammation

Inflammation

1. Microbe: Bacteria or Virus

   • PAMP
     • Pathogen associated molecular patterns, for example flagellum or cell membrane (NAM NAG)
     • Macrophages
       • Recognise PAMPs on the pathogen using TLRs on their cytoplasmic membrane and nucleic membrane. This allows them to phagocytose them.
       • Cytokine release
         • A means of communication between cells on a short distance.
         • short lived, so the reaction will come to an end shortly after it has been dealt with.
         • Blood vessel dilation
           • Neutrophils
             • Cluster at place of infection
         • cortisone
           • Induced by cytokines, it inhibits their production to put an end to the inflammation.
       • Chemotactic factors
         • create a gradient that attract neutrophils by chemotaxis. They are released by cells or synthesised when danger is recognised
         • cells sensitive to these factors have receptors to them all around their cell membrane. the Chemotactic factors will mainly connect to one side of the cell, causing a re-organisation of the cell's cytoskeleton, which in turn causes the polarization of the cell and its migration to the site of the infection.
     • Epithelial cell
       • defensins
         • small cystein rich proteins with a positive charge. They integrate into microbial cell membranes, creating a pore that causes lysis of the cell.
         • Present in vertebrates, invertebrates and plants
     • complement system
       • Series of amplification steps, using enzymes that activate proteins that lyse pathogens and regulate inflammation by chemotaxis
       • Also attach to microbes so that phagocytes can be helped in recognising them
       • Mast cell
         • Degranulate in reaction to the complement system, which liberates cytokines and other anti-pathogenic active molecules into the system