File:Allergy_to_Antibiotic_Cefaclor.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ101991· pop 100· linked from 3,755 articles

inflammation

Also known as hyperchemokinemia, inflammatory reaction

Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological defence response of body tissues. Inflammatory immunovascular responses can be triggered by a broad range of stimuli, including physical trauma, "dead, damaged, malfunctioning or stressed tissues", pathogens, irritants, toxins, overuse, autoimmunity, allergens, and foreign bodies (e.g. silica and asbestos). The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin calor, dolor, rubor, tumor, and functio laesa).

AI overview

Inflammation is your body's natural defense response when tissues are damaged or threatened by things like injuries, infections, toxins, or allergens. You typically notice it through five main signs: heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function in the affected area.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition.caption: An allergic reaction to cefaclor has led to inflammation of the skin on the foot. The cardinal signs of inflammation include: pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. Some of these indicators can be seen here.
Medical condition.specialty: Immunology, rheumatology
Medical condition.symptoms: Heat, pain, redness, swelling
Medical condition.complications: Asthma, pneumonia, autoimmune diseases
Medical condition.duration: Acute: few daysChronic: up to many months, or years
Medical condition.causes: Infection, physical injury, autoimmune disorder
Medical condition.image: Allergy to Antibiotic Cefaclor.JPG

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

1,136,246 papers

Inflammation in multiple system atrophy.ReviewFrontiers in immunology · 2023Leńska-Mieciek M, Madetko-Alster N, Alster P et al.DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1214677
Role of Antioxidants and Natural Products in Inflammation.ReviewOxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2016Arulselvan P, Fard MT, Tan WS et al.DOI: 10.1155/2016/5276130
Chronic Inflammation's Transformation to Cancer: A Nanotherapeutic Paradigm.ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Sohrab SS, Raj R, Nagar A et al.DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114413
Inflammation in Fear- and Anxiety-Based Disorders: PTSD, GAD, and Beyond.ReviewNeuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2017Michopoulos V, Powers A, Gillespie CF et al.DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.146
Stimulus-Responsive Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Systems for Inflammation Targeted Therapy.ReviewAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2024Yu H, Gao R, Liu Y et al.DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306152
Inflammation and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: where do we go from here?ReviewCurrent opinion in lipidology · 2025Waksman O, Waksman RDOI: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000001009
Inflammation preservation strategy: reconciling pain control and disc resorption in lumbar disc herniation.ReviewFrontiers in immunology · 2025Gong G, Yan Z, Lai Q et al.DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1653681
Inflammation and immune biomarkers: new frontiers in understanding and managing diabetes complications.ReviewInflammopharmacology · 2025Rao PP, Mishra S, Gupta J et al.DOI: 10.1007/s10787-025-01996-4

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Wikidata facts

Image: Acute inflammatory exudate.jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Inflammations
Commons gallery: Inflammation
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/SYMP_0000061
WordLift URL: data.wordlift.io/wl01714/entity/inflammation.html

Sources (4)

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~47 min read

Article

42 sections

Contents

Signs and symptoms
Cardinal signs – acute
Cardinal signs – chronic
Causes
Acute and chronic
Acute
Acute process
Chronic
Vascular component
Vasodilation and increased permeability
Plasma cascade systems
Plasma-derived mediators
Cellular component
Leukocyte extravasation
Phagocytosis
Cell-derived mediators
Morphologic patterns
Disorders
Atherosclerosis
Emerging treatments
Connection to depression
Allergy
Myopathies
Leukocyte defects
Pharmacological
Cancer
Role in cancer
Mediators and DNA damage in cancer
HIV and AIDS
Connection to depression
Connection to delirium
Systemic effects
Acute-phase proteins
Leukocyte numbers
Interleukins and obesity
Outcomes
Resolution
Examples
See also
Notes
References
External links

Inflammation is a generic response, and therefore is considered a mechanism of innate immunity, not adaptive immunity. It involves immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out damaged cells and tissues, and initiate tissue repair. Too little inflammation could lead to progressive tissue destruction by the harmful stimulus (e.g. bacteria) and compromise the survival of the organism. However, inflammation can also have negative effects. For instance, too much inflammation, in the form of chronic inflammation, is associated with various diseases, such as hay fever, periodontal disease, atherosclerosis, and osteoarthritis.