Author:
DeMaria T F,Prior R B,Briggs B R,Lim D J,Birck H G
Abstract
Endotoxin concentrations were determined in middle-ear effusions (MEEs) from 89 children with chronic otitis media by using the Limulu's amoebocyte lysate assay. Mean concentrations of endotoxin in Haemophilus influenzae-positive and Streptococcus pneumoniae-positive MEEs were 157 and 21.8 ng/ml, respectively, and were significantly different (P less than 0.01). Endotoxin was also found in Gram stain-positive, culture-negative and Gram stain-negative, culture-negative MEEs, but the levels were not significantly different (P greater than 0.05). However, the endotoxin concentrations in both groups of culture-negative MEEs significantly lower than those found in MEEs that grew either H. influenzae or S. pneumoniae (P less than 0.05). These results show that endotoxin is present in a high percentage of human MEEs, including those that are culture negative, and may contribute to the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Cited by
101 articles.
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