REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
This article is part of the Research TopicContextual inflammation: mechanisms of immune adaptation across tissues, time, and disease statesView all articles
Inflammation–Metabolism–Fibrosis Axis: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Chronicity of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Provisionally accepted
- Baiyin Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Baiyin, China
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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common infectious disease in gynecology; it can easily develop into chronic inflammation and tissue fibrosis. These conditions severely affect patients' reproductive health and quality of life. In recent years, studies have found that the inflammatory response, metabolic reprogramming, and fibrotic process interact through complex molecular mechanisms, forming an inflammation-metabolism-fibrosis axis. This axis has become a core driving factor in the chronic progression of PID. Specifically, this axis involves dynamic adjustments of immune cell metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of fibroblasts. These changes collectively promote the persistent presence of tissue damage and fibrosis development. Although some related signaling pathways and intercellular interactions have been revealed in previous studies, the overall regulatory mechanism underlying this network is still not fully understood. This limitation hinders the development of precise treatment strategies. This article systematically summarizes the key role of the inflammation-metabolism-fibrosis axis in the chronic progression of PID, analyzes the relationship between relevant molecular mechanisms and their clinical manifestations, and focuses on potential therapeutic targets and strategies based on this axis. By integrating the latest research findings, this article aims to provide theoretical support for elucidating the pathological mechanisms of PID and clinical interventions, thereby promoting the development of precision medicine.
Keywords: Chronic progression, Fibrosis, Inflammatory Response, metabolic reprogramming, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, treatment strategies
Received: 04 Nov 2025; Accepted: 07 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Liu, zhu, li, zhang and Yao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wenxiang Yao
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