Plasma fibronectin is decreased in toxic oil syndrome patients

Abstract

In 1981 an epidemic due to the ingestion of toxic oil arose in several regions of Spain. The patients showed respiratory symptoms during the acute phase and afterwards they suffered neuromyopathy and skin disturbs. A sicca syndrome and a scleroderma-like lesions were very characteristic in these patients. We measured the fibronectin (FN) in 27 plasmas from 23 children with toxic oil syndrome (TOS). The mean value (21±8 mg/dl) was lower than in the control group (26±6 mg/dl) (p<0.01) and 11/ 27 plasmas were bellow the P10 (<17.7 mg/ dI). The FN was lower at the chronic phase (19±8 mg/dl) than at the onset of the illness (23±8 mg/dl) and 8/13 (61,5 %) plasmas had low levels. The sica symdrome, the scleroderma, the liver involvement, and the neuromyopathy do not influenced the FN decrease. Nevertheless, it was decreased in patients with very severe symptoms (p<0.03) or with caquexia (p<0.05). We think that the low levels of plasma FN reflect the degree of vascular damage in the TOS and the very severe subnutrition.