Fibronectin in Meningococcal Sepsis

ABSTRACT. Plasma fibronectin was measured with Laurell's immunoelectroassay in 44 patients with meningococcal sepsis. The average value (15.0±7.9 mg/dl) was lower than that in normal children (27.4±8.7 mg/dl) (p<0.001). Fibronectin in patients correlated positively with antithrombin III (AT-III) values (p<0.02), but not with protein C (0.05+), than in those without DIC (DIC⁻) (p<0.02), but were lower in both groups than in a normal control group. A negative correlation between fibronectin and protein C was only present in DIC⁻ patients (r:-0.773=p<0.01). Fibronectin varied independent of AT-III and protein C in DIC⁺ patients. The study was repeated in 11 patients 24 hours after admission when fibronectin had decreased in 7/11 cases (mean decrease: -2.7±8.7 mg/dl). This variation correlated in a negative way with AT-III (r:-0.659=p<0.05). In meningococcal sepsis fibronectin decreases very early, even in DIC⁻ patients and its relationship to AT-III and protein C is different, depending on the presence of DIC and on the stage of evolution of the disease.