Serum indocyanine green quantification enables objective assessment of lymphatic function
- 1Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Abstract
Secondary lymphedema is characterized by impaired lymphatic drainage, yet current diagnostic approaches rely on limb volume measurements and qualitative measures of lymphatic function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that systemic uptake following intradermal injection of fluorescent tracers can serve as a quantitative biomarker of lymphatic transport. Using various preclinical models of lymphatic dysfunction, including genetic VEGFR3 haploinsufficiency, inducible lymphatic endothelial cell depletion, aging, and surgical lymphatic injury, we show that decreased serum concentrations of intradermally administered indocyanine green (ICG) correlate with indicators of impaired lymphatic function, including reduced lymphatic vessel density, diminished lymphatic pumping, and impaired dendritic cell migration. Together, these findings suggest that quantification of the serum concentrations of peripherally injected dyes selectively transported by the lymphatic system may be a useful means of assessing lymphatic function.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026serum,
title = {{Serum indocyanine green quantification enables objective assessment of lymphatic function}},
author = {Xizhao Chen and Jung Eun Baik and Jinyeon Shin and Gopika Ashokan and Annica R. Stull-Lane and Sarit Pal and Geoffrey E. Hespe and Babak J. Mehrara and Raghu P. Kataru},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-62278-9},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62278-9},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serum indocyanine green quantification enables objective assessment of lymphatic function
AU - Xizhao Chen
AU - Jung Eun Baik
AU - Jinyeon Shin
AU - Gopika Ashokan
AU - Annica R. Stull-Lane
AU - Sarit Pal
AU - Geoffrey E. Hespe
AU - Babak J. Mehrara
AU - Raghu P. Kataru
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-62278-9
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62278-9
AB - Secondary lymphedema is characterized by impaired lymphatic drainage, yet current diagnostic approaches rely on limb volume measurements and qualitative measures of lymphatic function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that systemic uptake following intradermal injection of fluorescent tracers can serve as a quantitative biomarker of lymphatic transport. Using various preclinical models of lymphatic dysfunction, including genetic VEGFR3 haploinsufficiency, inducible lymphatic endothelial cell depletion, aging, and surgical lymphatic injury, we show that decreased serum concentrations of intradermally administered indocyanine green (ICG) correlate with indicators of impaired lymphatic function, including reduced lymphatic vessel density, diminished lymphatic pumping, and impaired dendritic cell migration. Together, these findings suggest that quantification of the serum concentrations of peripherally injected dyes selectively transported by the lymphatic system may be a useful means of assessing lymphatic function.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -