Endotoxins are cell wall lipopolysacharides of gram negative bacteria. The gut contains large numbers of bacteria and is generally accepted to be a large reservoir of endotoxins. In the normal state absorbed endotoxins are rapidly removed from the portal blood by especially the reticulo-endothelial cells of the liver. In patients with liver disease there is a diminished function of the reticulo-endothelial system, resulting in a raised frequency of systemic endotoxemia. Systemic endotoxemia in liver disease, as measured by the Limulus lysate test, correlates with a higher frequency of clotting disorders, renal failure and a high mortality rate

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J.H.P. Wilson (Paul) , I.L. Bonta
Erasmus University Rotterdam
hdl.handle.net/1765/38751
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Ouwendijk, R. (1985, December 13). Eicosanoids, endotoxins and liver disease. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/38751