Abstract
Plasma fibronectin is a sensitive marker for nutritional status, rapidly decreasing during starvation and protein-energy malnutrition, making it a useful indicator for monitoring short-term nutritional status. As a glycoprotein, it is reduced in malnourished patients, often before albumin decreases, due to decreased hepatic synthesis and potential increased clearance. Plasma fibronectin levels have been shown to correlate with reticuloendothelial function and are reduced in critically ill patients, such as those with burns, shock, trauma, and sepsis. Patients failing to show an increase in fibronectin levels after stress have been shown to do poorly. Starvation studies in human volunteers have demonstrated decreasing plasma fibronectin levels until feeding was resumed