Membrane fluidity measurements in peripheral cells from Huntington's disease patients.

The primary gene defect of Huntington's disease is believed to involve the membrane of some peripheral cells. The membrane fluidity of skin fibroblasts, erythrocytes and leucocytes was measured by fluorescence polarisation of a lipid specific probe, 1,6 diphenyl, 1,3,5 hexatriene. No significant difference between controls and Huntington's disease patients could be demonstrated.