Increase in fibronectin in the deep dermis of involved skin in progressive systemic sclerosis

The distribution and amount of fibronectin in both involved and uninvolved skin from scleroderma patients and controls were compared by indirect immunofluorescence. A marked increase in fibronectin was found in the deep dermis of involved scleroderma skin, while the subepidermal papillary regions of all specimens revealed little variation in fibronectin content. The districution of the accumulated fibronectin appeared to parallel that of the accumulated collagen in the involved reticular dermis.