title: Inflammatory response of macrophages in infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macrophages are widely-distributed innate immune cells playing diverse roles in various physiological and pathological processes. The primary function of macrophages is to phagocytize and clear invading pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search of PubMed was performed to identify relevant studies in English language literature using the key words such as macrophage and inflammation. A total of 122 articles related to inflammatory response of macrophages in infection were systematically reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inflammatory responses of macrophages triggered by infection comprise four interrelated phases: recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by pattern-recognition receptors expressed on/in macrophages; enrichment of quantity of macrophages in local infected tissue by recruitment of circulating monocytes and/or in situ proliferation; macrophage-mediation of microbicidal activity and conversion to anti-inflammatory phenotype to terminate anti-infectious response and to promote tissue repair. Complicated regulation of macrophage activation at molecular level recognized in the past decade is also reviewed, including intracellular multiple signaling molecules, membrane molecules, microRNAs and even epigenetic-associated molecules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inflammatory response of macrophages in infection is an orderly and complicated process under elaborate regulation at molecular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Changzhen Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China. wangchengcai81@sina.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cheng-Cai
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators