Basement membrane protein distribution in LYVE-1-immunoreactive lymphatic vessels of normal tissues and ovarian carcinomas

The endothelial cells of blood vessels assemble basement membranes that play a role in vessel formation, maintenance and function, and in the migration of inflammatory cells. However, little is known about the distribution of basement membrane constituents in lymphatic vessels. We studied the distribution of basement membrane proteins in lymphatic vessels of normal human skin, digestive tract, ovary and, as an example of tumours with abundant lymphatics, ovarian carcinomas. Basement membrane proteins were localized by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies, whereas lymphatic capillaries were detected with antibodies to the lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1, LYVE-l. In skin and ovary, fibrillar immunoreactivity for the laminin alpha 4, beta 1, beta 2 and gamma 1 chains, type IV and XVIII collagens and nidogen-1 was found in the basement membrane region of the lymphatic endothelium, whereas also heterogeneous reactivity for the laminin alpha 5 chain was detected in the digestive tract. Among ovarian carcinomas, intratumoural lymphatic vessels were found especially in endometrioid carcinomas. In addition to the laminin alpha 4, beta 1, beta 2 and gamma 1 chains, type IV and XVIII collagens and nidogen-1, carcinoma lymphatics showed immunoreactivity for the laminin alpha 5 chain and Lutheran glycoprotein, a receptor for the laminin alpha 5 chain. In normal lymphatic capillaries, the presence of primarily alpha 4 chain laminins may therefore compromise the formation of endothelial basement membrane, as these truncated laminins lack one of the three arms required for efficient network assembly. The localization of basement membrane proteins adjacent to lymphatic endothelia suggests a role for these proteins in lymphatic vessels. The distribution of the laminin alpha 5 chain and Lutheran glycoprotein proposes a difference between normal and carcinoma lymphatic capillaries.