Changes in high endothelial venules in lymph nodes after vascularized and nonvascularized lymph node transfer in a murine autograft model

Abstract

Vascularized lymph node transfer (LNT) is gaining popularity in the treatment of lymphedema. However, it is unclear whether the vascularization of transferred lymph nodes (LNs) contributes to functional improvement. High endothelial venules (HEVs) are specialized vessels that allow lymphocytes to enter LNs. In this study, we compared the numbers of HEVs and lymphocytes in LNs after vascularized and nonvascularized LNT.