Fibronectin in the synovium of chronic inflammatory joint disease

The localisation of fibronectin in the synovial membrane of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory joint diseases has been studied using a peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemical method. Synovia were studied from seven cases of seropositive RA three cases of seronegative RA, six cases of ankylosing spondylitis, four cases of Reiter's syndrome and five of psoriatic arthritis. Six were small biopsies and the remaining tissues were obtained at open surgery for orthopaedic procedures or biopsies. Fibronectin was demonstrated in all of the synovia examined and was present in intimal cells, synovial giant cells, the walls of small blood vessels, basement membrane of larger vessels and deposits of fibrin. No difference in this distribution of fibronectin was found in seropositive and seronegative RA, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome or psoriatic arthritis, neither was there any difference in the amount of fibronectin at various sites.