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How did Rudolf Virchow add loss of function to the signs of inflammation?
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inflammation
The main function of complement proteins is to aid in the destruction of pathogens by piercing their outer membranes (cell lysis) or by making them more attractive to phagocytic cells such as macrophages (a process known as opsonization). Some complement components also promote inflammation by stimulating cells to release histamine and by attracting phagocytic cells to the site of infection.
The four cardinal signs of inflammationâredness, heat, swelling, and painâwere originally established in the 1st century CE by the Roman medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus.1
In the 19th century, the German pathologist Rudolf Virchow identified a fifth consequence of the inflammatory process: the loss of function of the affected area. Virchow observed that this impairment typically arises from two primary factors: the presence of pain, which inhibits mobility, or severe swelling (edema) that physically prevents movement in the inflamed region.1