title: Identification of lymph and blood capillaries by immunohistochemical staining for various basement membrane components.
abstract: In the present report we analyzed the presence and distribution of various basement membrane (BM) proteins in normal blood and lymph vessels with special emphasis on BM-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) when compared to the BM-components collagen IV, laminin and fibronectin. We found that normal lymph capillaries have a BM that contains only collagen IV and small amounts of laminin, but almost no BM-associated HSPG and fibronectin, while blood capillaries showed a BM comprising of all components tested for. Larger lymphatics, however, were indistinguishable from blood vessels on the basis of BM staining. Lymphangiomas showed a BM pattern similar to that of lymph capillaries. Our findings provide evidence that the differential staining of BM-components may represent a reliable method for morphological distinction between blood and lymph capillaries. A comparison of these results with the BM-pattern in other functionally specialized blood vessels (glomerulus, sinusoids) provides evidence that the BM-composition may have some major impact on the functional properties. Thus, it is conceivable that the lack of HSPG in lymph capillaries may be essential for a free influx of fluid and proteins into these capillaries, which may have been extravasated into the interstitium.
authors.affiliation: Pathologisches Institut der Universität, München, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Nerlich
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schleicher
mesh_terms: D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000737:chemistry*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000032:analysis; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000737:chemistry; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000737:chemistry*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D005353:Fibronectins; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans