ABSTRACT
Inflammation is a fundamental pathologic process consisting of a dynamic complex of cytologic and histological reactions that occur in affected blood vessels and adjacent tissues in response to an injury or other abnormal stimulation. Inflammation was historically presumed to play a beneficial role in tissue repair. Recently, however, it has become clear that the inflammatory response can be detrimental in disease, including neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, inflammation can be viewed as being a “doubleedged sword” in the setting of neurodegeneration, with potentially beneficial neuroprotective effects and potentially harmful neurodestructive influences.1,2 In this chapter, we review information regarding the occurrence of inflammation in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and discuss current evidence regarding its effect on the disease process.
