Intravenous administration of endotoxin into humans causes transient fever, alteration in the number of circulating neutrophils, and transient release into plasma of cytokines, cytokine antagonists, and other cellular products. The release can be temporally differentiated, and the extent of release is dose-dependent. By 1 h after endotoxin challenge, levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and soluble TNF receptor increase; interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 increase by 1.5 h, and IL-l receptor antagonist, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and lactoferrin increase by 2 h. Increased G-CSF is temporally associated with neutrophilia and the appearance of band neutrophils. Increased plasma lactoferrin and altered neutrophil surface antigen expression suggest that intravascular activation of neutrophils has occurred. The level of soluble E-selectin (sE-sel), an adhesion molecule released from endothelial cells, is elevated at 4 h and remains elevated at 24 h. sE-sel levels increase with higher doses of endotoxin at 4, 6, and 24 h.