Essential role of macrophages in chronic inflammatory processes.

It is clear that the macrophage plays a central role in the mediation of chronic inflammatory processes. The discussion below only alludes to certain of the mediators secreted by macrophages which contribute to chronic inflammation, and the reader is referred to other sources for further discussion of these and others. The combined activities of these products may account in large part for the effects of macrophages on its pericellular environment and neighboring cells during chronic inflammation.