inflammatory lymp

ells dv ea A Reviewfunction of LVs. In turn, LVs have profound influence on the immune system and therefore can significantly regu-late certain biological processes, such as inflammation. LVs are tubular structures composed of monolayered lym-phatic endothelial cells (LECs) and some surrounding mural cells. They comprise a one-way network that drains and transports extracellular fluid, macromolecules, and cellular components from the peripheral tissue into the systemic circulation. Under physiological conditions, the lymphatic system regulates tissue fluid homeostasis, im-mune surveillance, and absorption of dietary fats. Addi-tionally, growth of new LVs (lymphangiogenesis) is involved in various pathological conditions, including in-flammation, wound healing, and tumor metastasis [1–3]. ders can affect LVs, but vice versa is also possible and the regulation between LVs and inflammation should be con-sidered as a reciprocal process. In the present review, we focus on the characteristics, regulation and response of LVs with regard to inflammatory processes that have been described in the recent literature. Normal lymphangiogenesis during development and adulthood During the embryonic period, the formation of LVs is initi-ated with the expression of homeobox transcriptional factor Prox-1 in a subset of venous endothelial cells of the cardinal vein. The Prox-1-expressing LECs migrate and establish the primary lymph sac that is later remodeled into a delicate LV network. Mature LECs express markers such as Prox-1, VEGF receptor-3, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor (LYVE)-1 and podoplanin, which are frequently used to identify LVs [3,4,9]. VEGF-C and its correspondin