The correlation between serum lipid levels and the percentage of human peripheral blood lymphocytes bearing some surface markers.

Abstract

The correlations between serum HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides or free fatty acids levels and the percentage of human peripheral blood lymphocytes bearing receptors for SRBC, MRBC, Con A or sIgG were sought in the aged people. The persons examined showed a marked heterogeneity in their serum lipid levels as well as in the results of lymphocyte surface receptor analysis. However, the only correlation found was that between the percentage of MRBC-rosette forming cells and the level of serum free fatty acids. The total cholesterol level, known as the modulator of some physical parameters of lymphocyte membrane, had, in our examination, no correlation with the changes of surface properties of lymphocytes. The possible physiological role of the phenomena observed is discussed.