Hemolytic-uremic syndrome: absence of circulating endotoxin.

In children with hemolytic-uremic syndrome endotoxin determinations were carried out in the peripheral circulation in order to get evidence for the hypothetical role of endotoxin in the pathogenesis of the disease. For this purpose the Limulus test was used to determine endotoxin activity in 16 patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome. In the plasma of these patients no endotoxin could be detected above the lower detection limit of 100 pg/ml, although in all patients with septicemia due to gram-negative bacilli the test was positive.