Beschreibung:
<jats:p>Plasma concentrations of endothelium-associated proteins (EAP) (plasma fibronectin (PFN), angio-tensin-converting enzyme, factor VIII-related antigen (F VIII-R:Ag)) and tissue plasminogen activator and serum thyroid hormone concentrations were studied in nine patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), before and after weight gain. Before weight gain (-35.9 (se 2.3)% of standard body-weight) PFN was significantly reduced and F VIII-R:Ag was significantly increased in AN patients compared with the concentrations in control subjects (211.5 (se 14.9)<jats:italic>v.</jats:italic>274.7 (se 16.6) μg/ml,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic>< 0.05; 129.2 (se 14.1)<jats:italic>v.</jats:italic>88.2 (se 9.7)%,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic><0.05 respectively). Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and free T3 levels were also significantly lower before weight gain in AN patients (0.85 (se 0.07)<jats:italic>v.</jats:italic>1.53 (se 0.08) nmol/l,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic>< 0.001; 2.57 (se 0.23)<jats:italic>v.</jats:italic>5.31 (se 0.34) pmol/l,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic>< 0.001 respectively), although serum thyroxine (T4), free T4, and thyrotropin concentrations were within the normal range throughout the study periods. Following weight gain, PFN and F VIII-R: Ag concentrations normalized as did the thyroid hormone levels. The incremental changes in PFN levels correlated significantly with those in serum thyroid hormone concentrations (T3,<jats:italic>r</jats:italic>0.79,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic><0.01; free T3,<jats:italic>r</jats:italic>0.84,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic>< 0.01). These findings suggest that PFN levels may be directly related to serum T3 concentrations in AN patients.</jats:p>