The skin is a highly complex organ that provides a wide variety of functions,
including protection against toxins, pathogenic organisms and physical insults. When
there is a breach in this very important barrier, it becomes clear that the skin is also an
immune organ. There is a yin and a yang to the role of inflammation in wound healing.
Although most of us take it for granted, normal wound healing requires a rapid
inflammatory response with quick resolution. When this basic process is disrupted,
either due to systemic illness or local factors, pathologic abnormalities in wound
healing occur. This chapter will examine the normal inflammatory response as well as
the factors that lead to chronic non-healing wounds. Identification of abnormal cellular
and molecular immune responses may lead to targeted therapeutic strategies that
promote harmony in the wound healing symphony.
Keywords: Aging, Diabetes, Inflammation, Lymphocytes, Macrophage,
Neutrophils, Psoriasis pyoderma gangrenosum, Tumor necrosis factor, Venous
insufficiency.
