The role of physiological elements in the future therapies of rheumatoid arthritis. II. The relevance of energy redistribution in the process of chronic inflammation*

The reasons for development of chronic inflammation are complex and not fully understood. One of the factors affecting the prolongation of inflammation is changes in cell metabolism, occurring at the center of the inflammatory process. In chronic inflammation there is an imbalance between the processes of storage and consumption of energy reserves. Hypoxia that is a consequence of edema results in transition of white blood cells to anaerobic metabolism. Neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages produce active oxygen metabolites which on one hand facilitate the elimination of pathogens, and on the other hand, can cause damage to healthy cells located in the inflamed tissue. In this paper, we discuss the importance of disturbed redistribution of energy as one of the main reasons for transformation of the acute inflammatory process into the chronic one.