This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 138/6/903    most recent REP-09-0247v2 REP-09-0247v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Jabbour, H. N Articles by Norman, J. E PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jabbour, H. N Articles by Norman, J. E

Inflammatory pathways in female reproductive health and disease

¹ , MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit² Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK

Correspondence should be addressed to H N Jabbour; Email: h.jabbour{at}hrsu.mrc.ac.uk

This paper is one of four papers that form part of a special Focus Issue section on Vascular Function in Female Reproduction. The Guest Editor for this section was H N Jabbour, Edinburgh, UK; he was not involved in the handling of this paper, on which he is listed as an author.

Inflammation involves alterations to vascular and immune cell function. It is well recognised that many physiological reproductive events such as ovulation, menstruation, implantation and onset of labour display hallmark signs of inflammation. These are orchestrated by specific molecular pathways involving a host of growth factors, cytokines, chemokines and lipid mediators. Resumption of normal reproductive function involves prompt and proper resolution of these inflammatory pathways. Recent literature confirms that resolution of inflammatory pathways involves specific biochemical events that are activated to re-establish homeostasis in the affected tissue. Moreover, initiation and maintenance of inflammatory pathways are the key components of many pathologies of the reproductive tract and elsewhere in the body. The onset of reproductive disorders or disease may be the result of exacerbated activation and maintenance of inflammatory pathways or their dysregulated resolution. This review will address the role of inflammatory events in normal reproductive function and its pathologies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H N Jabbour Vascular function in female reproduction Reproduction, December 1, 2009; 138(6): 867 - 868. [Full Text] [PDF]