Salivary oncofoetal fibronectin and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Fibronectin (FN) is a multifunctional adhesive glycoprotein that exists in the extracellular matrix and body fluids. As a result of alternative splici ng, extra segments (ED-A and ED-B) may be included in the fibronectin molec ule. These isoforms of FN, together with FN that has an extra glycosylation (OFFN), are strongly associated with a number of tumours, including oral s quamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In View of the likely exfoliation of these ce lls into the oral cavity from tumours, OFFN might be present in saliva. As such, the presence of OFFN in saliva may be an indicator of oral SCC. The s aliva of 12 patients with oral squamous carcinoma and 8 disease-free indivi duals was measured for OFFN using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Salivary OF FN levels were similar for patients both with oral SCC and those without, s uggesting that this would not be a useful test for the detection of oral SC C.