Signals and Receptors Involved in Recruitment of Inflammatory Cells

The classical symptoms of inflammation (redness, swelling, heat, and pain) are the result of underlying biochemical events triggered by infection, foreign material, or tissue damage. The hallmark of inflammation is the infiltration of specific leukocyte subsets from the blood into the affected tissue. These leukocytes function as the primary line of host defense in the destruction of microorganisms and initiation of tissue repair. A variety of chemotactic proteins and their receptors orchestrate the directed migration of leukocytes to inflammatory sites.