Description
Fibronectin is an ubiquitous extracellular glycoprotein that exists in a soluble form in body fluids and in an insoluble form in the extracellular matrix. It plays a major role in many important physiological processes, such as embryogenesis, wound healing, hemostasis and thrombosis. Fibronectin is secreted as a dimer with a monomer molecular weight of 220-250 kDa. Fibronectin is composed of three types of modules organized into functional domains that are resistant to proteolysis and contain binding sites for extracellular matrix proteins, cell surface receptors and circulating blood proteins. In general, fibronectin is synthesized by and present around fibroblasts, endothelial cells, chondrocytes, glial cells, and myocytes. Fibronectin is abundant in the connective tissue matrix and in basement membranes. Extremely high levels of the glycoprotein are found in plasma. Fibronectin has been reported to play a major role in the cardiovascular system, being functionally involved in blood clotting, atherosclerosis, hypertension and myocardial infarction. Fibronectin´s importance during cancer progression has further been shown. It represents an active element in the process of T cell activation in the immune cascade triggered by organ transplantation. Fetal fibronectin has been described as a predictor of term labor