Measurement of the Lymphatic Clearance of the Human Skin Using a Fluorescent Tracer

• Published in: Journal of vascular research Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 423 - 431
• Main Authors: Leu, Anders J., Husmann, Marc J.W., Held, Torsten, Frisullo, Roberto, Hoffmann, Ulrich, Franzeck, Ulrich K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.09.2001; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Dextrans - administration & dosage; Female; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate - administration & dosage; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate - analogs & derivatives; Fluorescent Dyes - administration & dosage; Foot; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Kinetics; Lymph - metabolism; Lymphatic system; Lymphatic System - metabolism; Lymphography - methods; Male; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Middle Aged; Research Paper; Skin - anatomy & histology; Skin - metabolism; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Microcirculation; Skin; Lymphatic clearance; Lymph flow; Fluorescence microlymphography; Human; Lymphatic system; Methodology; Lymphatic microcirculation; Microlymphography; Clearance; Measurement method; Fluorescent compound
• ISSN: 1018-1172; 1423-0135
• DOI: 10.1159/000051075

The lymphatic clearance of the human skin at the instep of the foot was measured in 20 healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD 33.8 ± 10.5 years). Ten microliters of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 150,000 were injected intradermally and the fluorescent light intensity of the deposit was measured 10 min and 24 h after injection by window densitometry. Fluorescent light intensity decreased by 31.2 ± 13.5 arbitrary units (p < 0.0001) or by a factor of 4.1 ± 3.9. Reproducibility was tested 2–6 weeks later in 7 subjects and an intraclass reliability of 0.76 was found. These are the first measurements of the lymphatic clearance of the human skin using a fluorescent tracer. The method is easier and safer than the isotope clearance technique and small areas of the human skin can be investigated. The data found form a basis with which to compare measurements made in patients with different forms of edema.