Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1984 Aug;45(2):531–533. doi: 10.1128/iai.45.2.531-533.1984

Detection of free endotoxin in cerebrospinal fluid by the Limulus lysate test.

R S Munford, C L Hall, L Grimm
PMCID: PMC263284  PMID: 6378802

Abstract

We used a rabbit model of Escherichia coli meningitis to study the basis for positive Limulus lysate tests in infected cerebrospinal fluid. The results indicated that positive Limulus tests are due to endotoxins in cerebrospinal fluid and not to leukocyte proteases or other possible activators of the Limulus clotting system. The results also suggest that bacteria-free endotoxin may be present in localized gram-negative bacterial infections.

Full text

PDF
531

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Berman N. S., Siegel S. E., Nachum R., Lipsey A., Leedom J. Cerebrospinal fluid endotoxin concentrations in gram-negative bacterial meningitis. J Pediatr. 1976 Apr;88(4 Pt 1):553–556. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(76)80004-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Elin R. J., Wolff S. M. Nonspecificity of the limulus amebocyte lysate test: positive reactions with polynucleotides and proteins. J Infect Dis. 1973 Sep;128(3):349–352. doi: 10.1093/infdis/128.3.349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fink P. C., Wolkersdorfer R. G. Leucocyte activation of the Limulus amebocyte lysate. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1982;93:281–285. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Jorgensen J. H., Lee J. C. Rapid diagnosis of gram-negative bacterial meningitis by the Limulus endotoxin assay. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Jan;7(1):12–17. doi: 10.1128/jcm.7.1.12-17.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Munford R. S., Hall C. L., Lipton J. M., Dietschy J. M. Biological activity, lipoprotein-binding behavior, and in vivo disposition of extracted and native forms of Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharides. J Clin Invest. 1982 Oct;70(4):877–888. doi: 10.1172/JCI110684. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Munford R. S., Hall C. L. Radioimmunoassay for Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide O antigens: influence of antigen solubility. Infect Immun. 1979 Oct;26(1):42–48. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.1.42-48.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Munford R. S. Quantitative Limulus lysate assay for endotoxin activity: aggregation of radioiodinated coagulogen monomers. Anal Biochem. 1978 Dec;91(2):509–515. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(78)90537-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Nowotny A. Shedding bacteria. Biomembranes. 1983;11:1–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Osborn M. J., Gander J. E., Parisi E., Carson J. Mechanism of assembly of the outer membrane of Salmonella typhimurium. Isolation and characterization of cytoplasmic and outer membrane. J Biol Chem. 1972 Jun 25;247(12):3962–3972. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ross S., Rodriguez W., Controni G., Korengold G., Watson S., Khan W. Limulus lysate test for gram-negative bacterial meningitis. Bedside application. JAMA. 1975 Sep 29;233(13):1366–1369. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schaad U. B., McCracken G. H., Jr, Loock C. A., Thomas M. L. Pharmacokinetics and bacteriological efficacy of moxalactam (LY127935), netilmicin, and ampicillin in experimental gram-negative enteric bacillary meningitis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1980 Mar;17(3):406–411. doi: 10.1128/aac.17.3.406. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schwartz B. S., Levy G. A., Fair D. S., Edgington T. S. Murine lymphoid procoagulant activity induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide and immune complexes is a monocyte prothrombinase. J Exp Med. 1982 May 1;155(5):1464–1479. doi: 10.1084/jem.155.5.1464. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shands J. W., Jr The endotoxin-induced procoagulant of mouse exudate macrophages: a factor-X activator. Blood. 1983 Aug;62(2):333–340. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sveen K., Hofstad T., Milner K. C. Lethality for mice and chick embryos, pyrogenicity in rabbits and ability to gelate lysate from amoebocytes of Limulus polyphemus by lipopolysaccharides from Bacteroides, Fusobacterium and Veillonella. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1977 Dec;85B(6):388–396. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1977.tb01994.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tuazon C. U., Perez A. A., Elin R. J., Sheagren J. N. Detection of endotoxin in cerebrospinal and joint fluids by limulus assay. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Jan;137(1):55–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES