title: Measurement of the lymphatic clearance of the human skin using a fluorescent tracer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology Division, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Husmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Held
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frisullo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: U K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Franzeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003911:Dextrans / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007700:Kinetics; D008196:Lymph / Q000378:metabolism; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008220:Lymphography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C015219:fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate