STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL STATE OF LYMPHOCYTE MEMBRANES FROM PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Structural-fuctional state of membrane proteins in peripheral blood ly mphocytes was studied by millisecond room-temperature tryptophan phosp horescence (RTTP) method in 43 patients with systemic lupus erythemato sus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in 48 healthy people. A si gnificant fall in lifetimes of the fast;Ind slow RTTP components of pa tient lymphocytes was revealed. II provides evidence of reduced rigidi ty in the microenvironment of membrane proteins chromophors leading to enhanced intramolecular dynamics. Pronounced structural shifts in lym phocyte membranes correlated with clinical and immunological manifesta tions of both pathologies. RTTP parameters are qualitatively new indic es of membrane state in immunocompetent cells contributing to the gene ral membrane protein pattern rather. than individual receptors and com plementing tests characterizing immunopathological process in case of SLE and RA.