<title language="por">Heme and innate immunity: new insights for an old molecule

• Main Authors: Maria Augusta Arruda, Aurélio V Graça-Souza, Christina Barja-Fidalgo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2005-03-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: inflammation; heme; hemolytic episodes
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762005000900039

Hemolytic episodes such as sickle cell disease, malaria and ischemia-reperfusion occurrence are often associated to the statement of an inflammatory response which may develop or not to a chronic inflammatory status. Although these pathological states are triggered by distinct etiological agents, all of them are associated to high levels of free heme in circulation. In this review, we aim to focus the very recent achievements that have led to the statement of free heme as a proinflammatory molecule, which may play a central role during the onset and/or persistance of inflammation during these pathologies.