Study on the specificity of fibronectin for post-mortem diagnosis of early myocardial infarction.

In order to investigate the specificity of fibronectin (Fn) in the post-mortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction, the changes of Fn staining in normal, infarcted and other non-infarcted myocardial injuries resulting from myocarditis, mechanical asphyxia, electrocution, hemorrhagic shock, cardiac contusion and organophosphate poisoning were studied with an immunohistochemistry and image analysis system. The results showed that positive Fn staining could only be observed in groups of myocardial infarction and myocarditis, but could not be found in groups of mechanical asphyxia, electrocution, hemorrhagic shock, cardiac contusion, and organophosphate poisoning. Our findings indicate that positive staining of Fn in cardiomyocytes could be affected only by myocarditis, so it is quite specific for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.