Human plasma and cerebrospinal fibronectins differ in the accessibility of the epitopes on the N-terminal domains

Three monoclonal antibodies specific to the central cell-binding and the C- and N-terminal domains of fibronectin (FN) were used to test antigenic epitope accessibility on human plasma and cerebrospinal fibronectins. In the plasma group, the mean N-terminal FN domain immunoreactivity was about one fourth that of the cell-binding and C-terminal domains, whereas in cerebrospinal fluid they were nearly equal. In the presence of 0.5-6 M urea N-terminal domain immunoreactivity in the plasma increased 3-6-fold, but it decreased 0.7-3-fold in the cerebrospinal fluid. Analysis of fibronectin domain immunoreactivities of the cell-binding and N-terminal domains by a panel of specific monoclonal antibodies may reveal N-terminal fibronectin domain accessibility for reaction with biological partner ligand(s) and/or processes in which FN could be implicated. Such determinations may have important clinical implications.