Unattainable homeostasis in healing leads to interstitial and vascular intimal fibroses: A unified hypothesis of their pathogenesis

Abstract

Homeostasis, or the maintenance of constant internal environment in the organism, is disrupted by injury. In this case, pathological defence reactions such as inflammation and healing take place in order to restore it. They succeed if etiological harmful factors are eliminated. In the opposite case, constant injury leads to continuous healing and fibrosis. Both interstitial and vascular intimal fibroses have similar pathogeneses and may be provoked by the same etiological factors. It may be concluded, therefore, that in spite of their apparent differences, both fibroses are only the different expressions of the same process by which injury should be healed and homeostasis restored. Fibrosis itself may become dangerous for the patient, depending on its extent and on the affected organ. In this case, the inhibition of healing reaction by antiangiogenesis may be envisaged as a life-saving measure.