The Influence of Plasma Endotoxin Concentration on the Clinical Course of Gastroenterological Surgical Diseases

The condition of plasma endotoxin concentration, determined by Toxicolor Test®(LCT), of more than 50 pg/ml is defined as hyperendotoxemia. Sixty-one patients were given a diagnosis of hyperendotoxemia during an investigation period of 4 years and 5 months. Of these patients, 43 had septic foci (41 had gram-negative rod infections and 2 had fungal infections), 9 had no evidence of infectious foci but severe hepatic damage, and the other 9 had a severely advanced malignant tumor with slight infection such as respiratory or urinary tract infection. Septic hyperendotoxemic patients showed significantly higher rates of shock, vital organ damage and mortality than septic patients without hyperendotoxemia (p