Endotoxaemia and cytokine production in experimental colitis

Systemic endotoxaemia is a well recognized feature of inflammatory bowel disease but its pathogenic role remains uncertain. This study examined plasma endotoxin and cytokine concentrations and the acute‐phase protein response in a hapten‐induced model of experimental colitis. On days 2, 8 and 14 after induction of colitis with trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid in ethanol (TNBS‐E), plasma endotoxin, immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM endotoxin‐core antibody (EndoCAb), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL) 6 and α2‐macroglobulin (α2M) concentrations and colon macroscopic inflammation score were determined. At all time points there was significant colonic inflammation when compared with control values (P