ABSTRACT
The beneficial activities of inflammation are not limited to combating penetrating parasites but also to many other functions, especially repair of tissues damaged by the inflammation process. The most potent inflammatory mediators belong: histamine, serotonin, kinins and kininogens, components of the complement system, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine. In the acute phase of tissue injury, caused by inflammation, infection or malignant neoplasia, a group of so-called "acute phase proteins" is synthesized. Coagulation ceased to belong to the unique domain of hematologists because there has been a deserved and growing interest in blood clotting factors which participate in inflammation and carcinogenesis. Activation of the blood clotting cascade occurs by the formation of several active complexes which by interaction form the prothrombinase complex that cleaves fibrinogen to fibrin, stabilized by active factor XIII. Complex formation serves to accelerate activation of the particular coagulation factors and decreases the action of natural coagulation inhibitors.
