Mutant fibronectin gene in skin fibroblasts of sclerotic lesions from patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

A mutant fibronectin gene was identified in skin fibroblasts obtained from sclerotic lesions of 7 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. We found 2 point mutations adjacent to the cell-attachment tetrapeptide DNA sequence in the cell-binding domain of the fibronectin gene. This observation suggests that the mutant fibronectin is related to an integral component of sclerotic pathogenesis through abnormal cellular interactions.