Abstract: ObjectiveTo explore changes of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), soluble CD14 (sCD14) in blood of cirrhosis patients and their clinical significance.MethodsSerum samples of 45 cirrhosis patients were detected with chromogenic limulus amebocyte lysate assay for LPS and detected with ELISA for LBP, BPI and sCD14. While, serum samples of 15 normal subjects were used as controls.ResultsLevels of LPS, LBP, BPI and sCD14 in blood of cirrhosis patients with liver function being grade A, B and C were significantly higher than that in normal subjects. Also, those indexes fore mentioned were obviously higher in died cirrhosis patients than that in survived cirrhosis patients.Conclusion High levels of LBP, LPS and relative deficiency of BPI in cirrhosis patients accompanied with intestinal endotoxemia (IETM) may significantly increase the sensitivity of body to endotoxin.

Key words: cirrhosis, lipopolysaccharide (LBP), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (BPI), bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, soluble CD14 (sCD14)