[Fibronectin in the sputum in malignant and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract]. / Fibronektin im Sputum bei malignen und entzündlichen Atemwegserkrankungen.

Fibronectin , a glycoprotein, which is detectable in the pericellular space, can not be found on the surface of malignant transformed cells, but in the surrounding medium in a higher concentration. Which this finding, it was possible to differentiate between inflammatory and malignant genesis of pleural fluid and ascites. In the sputum and in the bronchial lavage different concentrations can be found too: In carcinomas the concentration on the average is much higher but not constant. This glycoprotein can therefore be used as a further tool in the search for neoplasms in the bronchial tree.