Immunohistochemical demonstration of cellular fibronectin and tenascin in human epiretinal membranes

The occurrence of fibronectin, cellular fibronectin and tenascin was studied immunohistochemically in epiretinal membranes from 5 patients with retinal detachment and 3 patients with macular pucker, and in preretinal membranes from 3 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Positive immunofluorescence for these proteins was seen in all specimens studied. The presence of cellular fibronectin suggests that local production of fibronectin occurs in these membranes. The expression of tenascin, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, originally found to modulate organosenesis in tendinous and glial tissue, suggests that this glycoprotein also participates in the regulation of cellular growth in these membranes.