title: [Study on the leukocyte-rich plasma as the specimen for the measurement of endotoxin].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the diagnosis of sepsis, the sensitivity of the endotoxin assay using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is not as high as expected. In the endotoxin assay using PRP, endotoxin occurring within and on the surface of white blood cells cannot be measured. Thus, we devised a method of preparing leukocyte-rich plasma (LRP) using hydroxyethyl starch (HES) in order to improve the endotoxin assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  The endotoxin concentration was measured by an endotoxin-specific Limulus amebocyte lysate assay method: turbidimetric kinetic assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 1% of erythrocytes were recovered in LRP without the hemolysis of erythrocytes. Endotoxin contents in PRP obtained from blood incubated for 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min at 37 degrees C in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (50 pg/ml in a final concentration) were 1.18, 1.23, 1.23, 1.39, and 1.25 times higher (mean value from three bloods) than that in PRP, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, the superiority of the sensitivity of the LRP-based endotoxin assay over the PRP-based assay was identified. Our newly devised assay method may contribute to improvement of the diagnosis rate of endotoxemia in sepsis.
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine, Morioka 020-8505, Japan. kanshige@iwate-med.ac.jp
authors: Shigenori
authors: S
authors: Kan
authors: Gaku
authors: G
authors: Takahashi
authors: Chiaki
authors: C
authors: Onodera
authors: Takuyuki
authors: T
authors: Masuda
authors: Naoya
authors: N
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Katsuya
authors: K
authors: Inada
authors: Shigeatsu
authors: S
authors: Endo
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008033:Limulus Test / Q000379:methods*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004731:Endotoxins