Collagen of the normal and the varicose human saphenous vein: a biochemical study.

Various types of collagen (I, III, IV, V) were identified in normal and varicose human saphenous veins using pepsin digestion and cyanogen bromide digestion followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Varicose veins were found to have a higher collagen content than normal veins. This is consistent with the morphological fibrosis which has regularly been described. No essential differences were found in the collagen composition of dilated and apparently healthy portions of varicose veins.