THE ANATOMY AND FUNCTION OF THE HUMAN LYMPHATIC SYSTEM IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
Main Article Content
Keywords
Lymphatic system, autoimmune disease, inflammation, lymphangiogenesis, VEGF-C, immune regulation
Abstract
Background: The lymphatic system is important in the regulation of the immune system, in the clearance of antigens and in the maintenance of the balance in the tissue fluids. The evidence is growing more on the contribution of lymphatic dysfunction to the chronic inflammation in autoimmune diseases; however, the structural and functional changes of lymphatic have not been adequately investigated.
Objective: To evaluate anatomical and functional changes of the lymphatic system in autoimmune diseases and determine their association with disease activity and inflammatory markers.
Methodology: The analytical observational research was carried out at Muhammad College of Medicine, Peshawar between January 2025 and June 2025 and involved 72 patients who were confirmed to have autoimmune disorders. Standard disease activity indices were used to help patients fall into active and low/remission groups of the disease. Imaging methods were used to determine morphology of the lymphatics, and pumping frequency, tracer clearance time, and limb volume were used to determine lymphatic performance. Inflammatory and molecular markers including CRP, ESR, IL-6, and VEGF-C were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, and p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Patients with active disease showed significantly enlarged lymph nodes, cortical thickening, dermal backflow, and dilated lymphatic vessels compared to remission patients. Functional assessment revealed reduced lymphatic pumping frequency and prolonged clearance time in active disease (p<0.001). Inflammatory markers including CRP, ESR, and IL-6 were significantly elevated, while VEGF-C levels suggested compensatory lymphangiogenesis. Lymphatic dysfunction was strongly associated with disease activity and clinical edema.
Conclusion: Autoimmune disease activity is associated with significant structural and functional impairment of the lymphatic system. Lymphatic evaluation may serve as a novel biomarker for disease severity and could represent a potential therapeutic target in chronic inflammatory disorders.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Sidra Humayun
Asssociate Professor, Department of Pathology, Muhammad College of Medicine (MCM), Peshawar, Pakistan
Rabia Inam Gandapore
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Bacha Khan Dental College, Mardan, Pakistan
Maria Shahzad
BDS, Mphill Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan
Huma Shafiq
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Islamic international Medical College,Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Nabila Momin Khan
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Afaq Farooq
Associate Professor, Department of Periodontology, Sardar Begum Dental College, Peshawar, Pakistan
