Tenascin and Fibronectin Expression in Healing Human Myocardial Scars

Fibronectin and tenascin are matrix proteins known to be present in early experimental wound healing. As only limited data are available regarding early matrix changes in human myocardial infarction, the presence of tenascin and fibronectin was studied in human myocardial infarctions of different post-infarction times (6 h to 17 years), using immunohistochemistry. In normal myocardium, fibronectin immunostaining was found in the subendothelial space in vessels. Tenascin was not present in normal myocardium. While fibronectin was demonstrated in the ischaemic cardiomyocytes within 1 day, tenascin was found 4-6 days post-infarction and was located at the margin of the area of infarction. Tenascin expression then shifted from the margin to the centre of the area of infarction, where it could be found 2-3 weeks post-infarction. More than 4 weeks post-infarction, the scar tissue consisted of collagen fibres, with sparse (myo)fibroblasts. By that time, both tenascin and fibronectin expression had disappeared. Another interesting observation in this study was the presence of tenascin, but not fibronectin, surrounding vacuolated glycogen-rich cells, or so-called hibernating cardiomyocytes.