Surgical Inflammation: From Molecule to Clinic

Tetrapyrrole molecules are distributed in virtually all living organisms on Earth. In mammals, tetrapyrrole end products are closely linked to oxygen metabolism. Since increasingly complex trophic functional systems for using oxygen are considered in the post-traumatic inflammatory response, it can be suggested that tetrapyrrole molecules and, particularly their derived pigments, play a key role in modulating inflammation. In this way, the diverse colorfulness that the inflammatory response triggers during its evolution would reflect the major pathophysiological importance of these pigments in each one of its phases. Hence, the need of exploiting this color resource could be considered for both the diagnosis and treatment of the inflammation.

Keywords: Post-traumatic inflammatory response, oxygen metabolism, tetrapyrroles, edema, necrosis, ischemia-reperfusion, hypoxia, cyanosis, ecchymosis, hemoglobin, pus, suppuration, scar.