  We present a self-consistent treatment of the electron-hole correlations in
optically excited quantum wires within the ladder approximation, and using a
contact potential interaction. The limitations of the ladder approximation to
the excitonic low-density region are largely overcome by the introduction of
higher order correlations through self consistency. We show relevance of these
correlations in the low-temperature emission, even for high density relevant in
lasing, when large gain replaces excitonic absorption.
