The role of chemical mediators in the pathogenesis of inflammation with emphasis on the kinin system

In recent years, numerous agents have been recognized as inflammatory mediators. In this review, however, we discuss only those having direct relevance to human inflammatory diseases These mediators are clinically important due to their proinflammatory properties such as vasodilatation, increased vascular permeability, pain and chemotaxis. They may lead to the fifth cardinal sign, loss of function in inflammatory diseases. Agonists and non-specific antagonists are used as pharmacological tools to investigate the inflammatory role of PGs, LTs, PAF, IL-1, histamine, complement, SP, PMN-leukocytes, and kallikrein-kininogen-kinin systems. Unfortunately, no compound is known which concurrently abolishes all actions and interactions of inflammatory mediators. Therefore it would be highly useful to promote efforts in developing selective and competitive antagonists against proinflammatory actions of these chemical mediators. This may help to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory reactions, and it may also be useful for the therapy of inflammatory diseases.