Initial lymph vessels of the skin and elastic fibres form an integral morphofunctional structure.

Little has been published on the histochemical and cytochemical properties of anchoring filaments of the initial lymph vessels. Previous research suggests that the microfibrils of the anchoring filaments have ultrastructural, histochemical and cytochemical characteristics similar to those of the microfibrils associated with the elastic fibres. With the aim of further investigating the histological identity of anchoring filaments, we performed an immunohistochemical study in human skin lymphatics, using the antibody HB8, specific for elastic fibre microfibrils. There is now a body of evidence suggesting a new concept in the framework of the lymphatic system. It unifies the initial lymph vessels, the anchoring filaments and the satellite elastic fibres in a single and integral entity.