Fibronectin is non-collagenous protein which accumulates in osteoarthritic cartilage. The presence of fibronectin and its specific isoform containing the B sequence, Ed-B fibronectin (B.Fn), was studied in normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage using immunohistochemical and biochemical assays, with a specific monoclonal antibody. Results showed substantial amounts of B.Fn in osteoarthritic cartilage, especially in the superficial and middle layers. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of B.Fn with a molecular mass of 220 and 55 kDa. In contrast, in normal cartilage, expression of B.Fn was extremely low. In conclusion, the expression of a specific isoform of fibronectin during the osteoarthritic process suggests that this isoform might have specific functions in extracellular matrix remodelling.
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Chevalier et al. (1996) studied this question.