Decreased plasma levels of fibronectin in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Objectives - Fibronectin (FN) possesses a wide range of biological functions. However, the role of plasma FN in vivo has not yet been established and there have been no published studies of plasma FN in ALS. The aim of this study was to measure plasma FN in ALS patients. Material and methods - We measured plasma FN levels in 28 ALS patients, is control subjects with other neurologic or muscular diseases (control group A) and 21 healthy adults (control group B). The age and sex distributions among the 3 groups were comparable. Results - Plasma FN levels were significantly lower in ALS patients than in control groups A and B. There was also a significant negative correlation between plasma FN levels and duration of illness in ALS patients. Conclusion These data suggest that a metabolic alteration of FN may take place in ALS and that the measurement of plasma FN may serve as an indicator of clinical progression of this disorder.