ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the evidence suggesting that fibronectin modulates coagulation by virtue of its interactions with fibrinogen, incorporation into fibrin clots, and possible involvement in the interactions between fibrin and cells and other proteins. It discusses the potential physiological significance of such interactions. The chapter provides a brief review of the actual mechanism of fibrin clot formation. The initiation and process of blood coagulation is influenced by a number of plasma, cellular, and matrix components including fibronectin. Because of its incorporation into fibrin clots, several investigators have evaluated the influence of fibronectin on fibrinolysis. The interaction of fibrin and soluble fibrin complexes with mononuclear phagocytic cells has been studied in the presence and absence of plasma fibronectin. Decreased circulating concentration of plasma fibronectin has been associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation in a variety of clinical syndromes and experimental animal models.
