Red blood cell [14C]cholesterol exchange and plasma cholesterol esterifying activity of normal and sickle cell blood.

The present study performed on density fractions of sickle and normal erythrocytes prepared on Stractan density gradient shows that dense erythrocytes have consistently decreased uptake of [14C]cholesterol from plasma in comparison to young, less dense erythrocytes. Plasma of sickle cell patients also shows a reduction in cholesterol-esterifying activity in comparison to normal controls. A possible effect of these processes in the increased cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio of irreversibly sickled cells has been suggested.