DETECTION AND QUANTITATION OF FIBRONECTIN IN SYNOVIAL-FLUID FROM PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASE

Abstract

Fibronectin, a high MW glycoprotein that binds to glycosaminoglycans, fibrinogen or fibrin, and collagen, was identified and quantitated in synovial fluid from patients with various rheumatic diseases. Fibronectin concentration was significantly higher in synovial fluids from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (697 .mu.g/ml) than in other synovial fluids. In RA synovial fluid fibronectin concentration exceeded that in plasma and did not directly correlate with synovial fluid concentrations of albumin, total protein or fibrinogen. Synovial fluid concentration correlated directly with synovial fluid white blood cell count (r = 0.50, P < 0.05). Fibronectin was present in cryoprotein formed from 4 rheumatoid synovial fluids.