Twenty-four hour variation in flow and composition of leg lymph in normal men.

The twenty-four hour variation in concentration and output of total protein, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase has been studied in the peripheral lymph from the legs of 5 healthy volunteers over a period of five days. The highest concentration of these proteins was found in lymph collected during the first two hours after a night's rest. During the day a continuous decrease in concentration occurred without any direct correlation to lymph flow. The variation in lymph protein concentration between early morning and late day was about 40%, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphate about 90% and 45% respectively.