[Course of plasma fibronectin in burn patients. Its variations during septic episodes]

The time course of plasma fibronectin (FNp) was evaluated following burn injury in 62 patients during 30 days. Those patients were divided into three groups: A: 36 non septic survivors, B: 7 septic survivors, C: 19 dead patients. Those groups were statistically different if either age or total body surface area burnt (TBSA), or unit burnt standard (UBS) or the percentage or third degree burnt area were considered. The relationship between FNp, UBS or sepsis was studied. No correlation was found between FNp levels and TBSA or UBS for the first three days. After acute depletion on day 2, the FNp level returned to initial values on day 3. That depletion was probably a consequence of resuscitation since both falls in plasma FNp and haematocrit were parallel from day 1 to day 2. When the patients became septic, there was always a drop in FNp level. The depleted level of FNp remained low in the patients who finally died, whereas in those who survived that level had returned to normal. The observation of FNp level could therefore be useful in determining how serious a sepsis is.