Concentration and relative molecular mass of hyaluronate in lymph and blood.

Human lymph was collected from patients with leaking lymph vessels after thoracic surgery. Ovine lymph was obtained from the mesenteric, lumbar, popliteal and prescapular lymph ducts by cannulation. The concentration of hyaluronate varied considerably (between 0.2 and 50 mg/l) and the highest concentrations were found in mesenteric lymph. The Mr of the polysaccharide showed a great polydispersity and variation between individuals and in different regions of the lymphatic system. High-Mr hyaluronate (greater than 10(6) was present in lymph both from man and sheep. Hyaluronate was also isolated by affinity chromatography in 70-80% yield from human serum and plasma obtained from healthy individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis and primary biliary cirrhosis. The weight (Mw)- and number (Mn)-average relative molecular masses were roughly the same in the three groups [(1.4-2.7) X 10(5) and (2.1-5.7) X 10(4) respectively]. The low Mr of hyaluronate in blood compared with that in lymph is explained by a preferential uptake of the large molecules by the liver endothelial cells.