The process by which the immune system destroys, dilutes, or walls off injurious agents and injured tissue. Small blood vessels dilate and become permeable. This increases blood flow and permits exudation of plasma and leukocytes. The cells arriving from the blood include monocytes, neutrophils, basophils, and lymphocytes; those of local origin include endothelial cells, mast cells, tissue fibroblasts, and macrophages. Other mediators of inflammation include cytokines, interleukins, and neuropathies.