虽然革兰氏阴性细菌的内毒素与某些医院病人中高达80％的死亡率有关,但世界上仅有二、三个实验室研究、鉴定白细胞上对内毒素活性起主要作用的受体分子。有一实验室得到美国国立卫生研究院的资助,希望不久能阻止内毒素破坏身体免疫系统。内毒素是革兰氏阴性细菌细胞壁上的一种脂多糖蛋白。含有内毒素的细菌,一般是正常菌丛的一部分,在数量 Although the endotoxin of Gram-negative bacteria is associated with up to 80% of mortality in some hospital patients, only two or three laboratory studies in the world have identified receptor molecules on leukocytes that play a major role in endotoxin activity . A laboratory funded by the National Institutes of Health hopes to stop endotoxin from damaging the body’s immune system soon. Endotoxin is a lipopolysaccharide protein on the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria that contain endotoxins are generally part of normal flora, in quantities