A finger catches the sharp edge of an envelope; a noseful of tree pollen is accidentally inhaled; the latest virus finds host after human host. In all cases the assaulted body reacts through inflammation, a well known, but not well defined process, especially its molecular cascade of events. These events are orchestrated by chemokines and the other biochemicals of innate immunity, eventually engaging downstream immune cells and antigens involved with adaptive immunity. A person is born with an innate immune system, whereas acquired immunity is developed through lifelong contact with pathogens.
Usually, inflamed tissue heals quickly, end of story. But when things go awry, the downstream immunological events, both innate and acquired, can lead to several disparate diseases. "I personally believe that chronic inflammation is the root of all evil," says Emad El-Omar, professor of gastroenterology, University of Aberdeen, UK, who works on host genetic factors associated with gastritis, a ...
