Abstract
A chromogenic limulus test (Toxicolor test) revealed a transiently increased blood endotoxin level in some patients after digestive surgery. However, most showed no clinical signs of endotoxemia. The Endospecy test of these specimens, which reacts specifically with endotoxin, did not show a high value, while the Gluspecy test, which reacts specifically with (1→3)-β-d-glucan (glucan), did. These findings thus suggested that the gauze used for surgery contains a large amount of glucan. The intraperitoneal injection of this gauze-saline into rats results in a phenomenon similar to that observed in clinical studies. These findings suggested the involvement of substances other than endotoxin such as glucan in the postoperative positive-Toxicolor phenomenon. In addition, the Toxicolor test also showed a higher value in patients with liver cirrhosis than in those without. In an experimental study in rats, the liver cirrhosis group also showed a significantly high value. These results therefore suggest that the glucan clearance mechanism is impaired in the reticuloendothelial system in liver damage such as cirrhosis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Levin J, Bang FB (1964) The role of endotoxin in the extracellular coagulation of limulus blood. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 115:265–274
Iwanaga S, Morita T, Harada T, Nakamura S, Niwa M, Takaba K, Kimura T, Sakakibara S (1978) Chromogenic substrate for horseshoe crab clotting enzyme. Haemostasis 7:183–188
Obayashi T (1984) Addition of perchloric acid to blood samples for colorimetric limulus test using chromogenic substrate. J Lab Clin Med 104:321–330
Morita T, Tanaka S, Nakamura T, Iwanaga S (1981) A new (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan-mediated coagulation pathway found in limulus amebocytes. FEBS Lett 129:318–321
Obayashi T, Tamura H, Tanaka S (1985) A new chromogenic endotoxin-specific assay using recombined limulus coagulation enzymes and its clinical applications. Clin Chim Acta 149:55–65
Obayashi T, Yoshida M, Tamura H, Aketagawa J, Tanaka S, Kawai T (1992) Determination of plasma (1 → 3)β-D-glucan: A new diagnostic aid to deep mycosis. J Med Vet Mycol 30:275–280
Nakao A, Kato H, Kanbe T, Tanaka K, Tamura H, Tanaka S, Takagi H (1994) Quantitative assay of (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan in culture media of Candida albicans using the G-test. Eur Surg Res 26:194–200
Obayashi T, Tamura H, Tanaka S, Ohki M, Takahashi S, Kawai T (1986) Endotoxin-inactivating activity in normal and pathological human blood samples. Infection and Immunity 53:294–297
Aoki H, Nakao A (1987) Experimental study of intrinsic endotoxemia in liver cirrhotic rats (in Japanese with English abstract). Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi (Jpn J Gastroenterol) 84:1103–1109
Kokuba Y, Nakao A, Takagi H (1993) Changes in the blood endotoxin concentration after digestive surgery. Surg Today 23:100–104
Nakagawa K, Matsubara S, Ouchi K, Owada Y, Yajima Y (1986) Endotoxemia after abdominal surgery. Tohoku J Exp Med 150:273–280
Person FC, Bohon J, Lee W, Bruszer G, Sagona H, Daw R, Jakubowski G, Morrison D, Dinarello C (1984) Comparison of chemical analyses of hollow-fiber dialyzer extracts. Artif Organs 8:291–298
Yoshida M, Obayashi T, Tamura H, Tanaka S, Kawai T, Sakamoto S, Miura Y (1987) Improvement of the diagnosis of sepsis in patients with severe hematological diseases by endotoxin assay using limulus coagulation enzymes with chromogenic substrate (in Japanese with English abstract). Nippon Rinsho Ketsueki Gakkai Zasshi (Jpn J Clin Hematol) 28:818–822
Kikuchi M, Watanabe M, Sasaki A, Saito K, Inada K, Yoshida M (1989) Existence of glucan-like activity in the organs of rats (in Japanese with English Abstract). Nippon Geka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Surg Soc) 90:2052
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kimura, Y., Nakao, A., Tamura, H. et al. Clinical and experimental studies of the limulus test after digestive surgery. Surg Today 25, 790–794 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00311454
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00311454