Compensatory mechanisms in erythrocyte lipids in patients with atherosclerosis.

The quantitative composition of phospholipids and fatty acids of erythrocytes was investigated in patients with atherosclerosis. It was stated that the erythrocyte lipids of atherosclerotic patients contained smaller quantities of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol, a significantly larger quantity of sphingomyelin, and higher sphingomyelin/phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol/phospholipid ratios. The existence of compensatory changes was stated, which was evident in the reduction of palmitic and stearic acids and the increase of linoleic and eicosatrienoic acids in erythrocyte phospholipids. These changes in fatty acid composition probably cause minimal changes in the membrane fluidity induced by an increased cholesterol/phospholipid and sphingomyelin/phosphatidylcholine ratios. This paper was the first evidence of occurrence of those changes in erythrocytes during spontaneous atherosclerosis in human.