title: Impact of hepatic clearance of endotoxin using endotoxin activity assay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endotoxin (Et) in the portal vein blood is processed by the hepatic reticuloendothelial system, and therefore, it is possible that the hepatic clearance of Et may become a biological index for liver function. In this study, Et levels of preoperative peripheral and portal vein blood at the time of liver transplantation (LT) were measured in order to study the meaning.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 19 patients in whom pediatric living donor LT was performed. In the preoperative peripheral and the portal vein blood at the time of LT, we measured Et activity (EA) by the Et activity assay (EAA) and the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative peripheral vein blood showed a low EA in all cases. In the EA of the peripheral and the portal vein blood, the latter showed a significantly high level (p = 0.049). With the LAL method, 5.3% (2/38) of patients were positive for Et.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EAA is considered to be superior to the LAL method for the detection of Et, even in low endotoxinemia, and is also capable of elucidating the Et kinetics by accurately reflecting hepatic clearance.
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan. yuki371@jichi.ac.jp.
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Sanada
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Mizuta
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Taizen
authors: T
authors: Urahashi
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Ihara
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Taiichi
authors: T
authors: Wakiya
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Noriki
authors: N
authors: Okada
authors: Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors: Naoya
authors: N
authors: Yamada
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
authors: Kentaro
authors: K
authors: Ushijima
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Otomo
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Sakamoto
authors: Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
authors: Yoshikazu
authors: Y
authors: Yasuda