MEMBRANE VISCOSITY OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LY MPHOCYTES IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

38 primary patients with breast cancer (BC) aged 25-71 years and 18 he althy women aged 29-66 years have been examined. Unlike healthy women, no age-related enhancement of the viscosity of lymphocyte membrane (V LM) was observed. Clinical stage of the process did not influence VLM. In healthy women having higher VLM values, the lowering of lymphocyte blasttransformation reaction to PHA and the tendency to hyperlipidemi a were noted. These relations are absent in BC patients but positive c orrelation between the level of VLM and excessive body mass (fat conte nt) is established (first of all in the patients aged 50 and older). P robable causes of such differences are discussed and possible role of insulin and hyperinsulinemia as the factors partially independent from lipidemia, which regulate viscosity-fluidity processes in normal and transformed cells, are pointed out.