Chronic inflammation acts as a silent "killer" that lasts in the body for decades without any symptoms, can be difficult to detect before a catastrophic disease erupts, and does not cause visible external diseases.
"Inflammation".It is a collective term for many diseases of our ancestors. Immunology suggests that inflammation manifests itself in peopleThe phenomenon of "redness, swelling, heat".In fact, it is the result of local vasodilation, increased blood flow, and the penetration of immune cells into infected tissues caused by various inflammatory factors.
In recent years, due to changes in living habits, dietary structure, and living environment, the incidence of various inflammatory diseases in China has continued to riseThe incidence of chronic pharyngitis and rhinitis in China is as high as 873%；The incidence of chronic gastritis is 30%; The incidence of chronic kidney disease is 11% and is on the rise.
Inflammation is the body's first response to injury and infection, acute inflammation is an essential function of life. The temporary discomfort and swelling caused by inflammation causes a large number of immune cells to move quickly to the area where they need to destroy all invading microbes and begin to heal.
What happens if inflammation is chronic?
Chronic inflammation tends to be systemic and can lead to joint stiffness and overall muscle pain. In the most severe cases, chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease and insulin resistance. Most degenerative diseases are driven by chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation means impairment of certain body functions and an increased risk of health problems.
How far is inflammation from cancer?
Medically,Cancer, which refers to malignant tumors; Inflammation refers to the body's response to tissue cell damage. On the surface, the two don't seem to have much to do with each other.
However, a large number of studies have shown that:
About 1 in 5 cancer patients have long-term chronic inflammatory irritation;
4 in 5 percent of cancer patients do not have a background of chronic inflammation, however, there is also inflammatory cell infiltration within their cancer tissues.
Previous studies have shown that cervical cancer is associated with human papillomavirus infection, gastric cancer is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection, and liver cancer is associated with hepatitis virus infection. So, it's important to keep the body away from inflammation.
Inflammation is a double-edged sword
In order to keep the body in a healthy physiological state, the immune system performs a variety of internal clean-up tasks on a daily basis. This state is called"Homeostasis".。It's clear,The occurrence of both exogenous and endogenous "inflammation" is a disruption of the body's "homeostasis".
Inflammation itself is an indispensable and important immune defense function of the human body, but unnecessary, long-term and excessive chronic inflammatory response will cause damage to organ function.
In many cases, the disease is not able to be controlled, but only by some level, thus creating a long-standing inflammatory state, which is called "chronic inflammation". Chronic inflammation is closely related to the onset or exacerbation of many diseases.
American pathologist Gerrity et al. first used the animal arteriosclerosis model in 1979 and found that the initial pathological change in the formation of arteriosclerosis is the adhesion of inflammatory cells (monocytes, macrophages) to the vascular endothelium, thus laying the foundation of the theory of inflammation in arteriosclerosis.
Studies have confirmed thatChronic diseases such as arteriosclerosis are closely related to aging, as well as lifespanTherefore, with the establishment of the theory of inflammation in arteriosclerosis (1999), a large number of studies related to chronic inflammation and cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and mortality have emergedThe results almost unanimously reveal that analyzing the level of chronic inflammation in the human body is relatively precise in the occurrence, progression, and exacerbation of these chronic diseases.
It was first proposed in the mid-19th century by the German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who observed infiltrating white blood cells in tumor tissueThe idea that there may be some link between inflammation and tumors is that tumors originate from chronic inflammation
Subsequently, more and more studies have shown that there is a close relationship between inflammation and tumors, and various inflammatory factors affect the occurrence and metastasis of tumors by participating in and changing the formation of microenvironment.
What other diseases are associated with inflammation?
In fact, the appearance of an inflammatory response should be a good thing, as it represents that our immune system is working properly. However, chronic inflammation can be the root cause of many physical and mental illnesses.
In 2017, clinical results published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the anti-inflammatory drug canakinumab can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the population. This phase III clinical trial of 10,061 cases demonstrated for the first time that a 150 mg dose of canakinumab reduced the incidence of vascular disease by 15%. Further trial results from the researchers showed that canakinumab reduced lung cancer mortality by 77 and significantly reduced the incidence of arthritis and gout.
As early as the 80s of the 20th century, it was suspected that inflammation played a role in cardiovascular disease. The common belief at the time was that atherosclerosis was caused by the accumulation of circulating fats, including cholesterol, in the patient's arteries, but no one knew why or how plaque formed.
Libby believes that when cholesterol and bacteria cause any problems in the blood circulation, the immune system recruits white blood cells. Adhesion molecules, which are naturally present on vascular endothelial cells, attract these white blood cells and stick them to the endothelium in the inner layer of the artery. Local accumulation of inflammatory cells and accumulation of fat-rich debris form plaques in blocked arteries that can be said to be products of a chronic inflammatory response in their own right.
In addition, many health problems that seem to have little to do with inflammation are increasingly being correlated with inflammation: a series of studies have found that many common chronic diseases such as:Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, asthma, gout, anemia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and depression, among others, indeed all withLow-grade chronic inflammationRelate.
Chronic inflammation has also been linked to mental health problems such as depression. The effects of persistent inflammation on the brain are mainly caused by low mood, lack of pleasure and inability to experience pleasure. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry showed that about 1 in 3 people with depression had higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. Therefore, studying how inflammation affects depression can help us find better ways to depress.
How to Address Chronic Inflammation?
There are many benefits to eating a healthy diet and exercising, but one of the more realistic problems is that people's preferences that have evolved due to food shortages are at odds with these healthy habits. In other words, most people know what they have to do, but they can't act on it. For example, humans are naturally fond of foods containing sugar, salt, and fat, and it's hard to resist them.
Therefore, in many cases, regular screening of the level of inflammation in the body is one of the simple means to prevent disease, early monitoring and understand the immune status in the body. If you find that there is inflammation in the body, please do not simply take anti-inflammatory drugs, but find the real cause of inflammation, such as adjusting good work and rest habits, eating a variety of diets, and appropriate exercise.
In recent years, a number of studies have preliminarily revealed that stem cells can effectively reduce the degree of inflammation of damaged organs, which is conducive to tissue regeneration and repair.
Since mesenchymal stem cells have congenital low immunogenicity, they secrete soluble factors to act on immune cells through direct contact and can exert immunomodulatory functions. In addition, it can also tend to localize the site of inflammation, regulate inflammation-related cytokines, reduce inflammatory response, and thus exert anti-inflammatory effects.
As early as the beginning of 2018, there was a study in the sub-journal "Nature" that showedScientists have found that an anti-inflammatory factor (CD200) is highly expressed in placental mesenchymal stem cells, which not only inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory factors, but also increases the formation of anti-inflammatory response factors and immunomodulatory factors, thereby playing a role in the disease.
In recent years, stem cells have been applied to the human research of a variety of inflammatory diseases, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory cardiomyopathy, pancreatitis, etc., and have achieved preliminary efficacy. It is believed that in the future, stem cells** will benefit more patients who can only be maintained by drugs.