Endotoxic Properties of Oral Bacteria as Revealed by the Local Shwartzman Reaction

While a great deal of literature has accumulated concerning the endotoxic properties of Gram-negative bacteria from a variety of sources, little information is available on the occurrence of endotoxins in bacteria indigenous to the human oral cavity. A systematic investigation of some of the endotoxic manifestations of these bacteria may be of considerable importance in evaluating their role in periodontal disease. This study, representing one phase of this investigation, utilizes the dermal Shwartzman reaction' as an indicator of the endotoxic properties of certain oral bacteria.