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Fibronectin concentration was studied in plasma of mice at different times after inoculation of 3 different experimental tumors, Colon 26 adenocarcinoma, mFS6 fibrosarcoma and B16 melanoma. A significant increase in fibronectin concentrations 10-30 days after inoculation of all tumors was found. Highest and earliest fibronectin increases were observed in BALB/c mice inoculated with Colon 26 adenocarcinoma cells. Control animals inoculated with previously irradiated cells (5000 rad) showed neither tumor growth nor significant variations in plasma fibronectin levels.

We have determined the amount of fibronectin in pleural fluids and plasma of 131 patients suffering from pleurisy of malignant and non-malignant etiology. We observed a significantly higher concentration of fibronectin in pleural fluids of a few patients with mesothelioma as compared with that found in pleural fluids of patients with pleurisies of different etiology. In these patients the pleural fluid fibronectin concentration was higher than that measured in plasma, suggesting local synthesis of fibronectin.