ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the structure and biochemistry of endotoxin, with an emphasis upon the portions of the molecule that confer antigenicity and toxicity. It presents an overview of the physiologic and biologic effects of endotoxin at both the systemic and cellular levels. The chapter also discusses the development and testing of antiendotoxin Abs, and also presents a meta-analysis of the protective capacity of antiendotoxin Abs with an attempt to define characteristics that produce protective capacity. A large body of data has accumulated, providing evidence that the mechanisms which underlie the lethality of lethal disease are derived from the complex interactions of the host with both the intact organism and Gram-negative bacterial endotoxins. Endotoxins are a heterogeneous group of macromolecules with an approximate molecular weight of 200,000 that reside in the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria.
