Microbial translocation is a key component of disease progression in HIV and is a better predictor of mortality than virus titer or CD4+ T-cell count.  As a result, circulating molecules indicative of translocation, including endotoxin, are closely monitored.  Recently a collaboration of scientists from Johns Hopkins and Harvard demonstrated that plasma from HIV patients mask endotoxin, consistent with other reports.  Furthermore, they demonstrated that current standard procedures in sample preparation result in statistically significant errors in endotoxin quantitation.

Detection of Microbial Translocation in HIV and SIV using the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Assay is Masked by Serum and Plasma

Scientists at BioDtech, Inc. have measured previously undetectable levels of endotoxin which could cause activation of the immune system.  BioDtech products are designed to more accurately detect endotoxin and remove it from proteins and DNA.