[Calcium ion uptake by the skin fibroblast culture under normal conditions and in systemic diseases of the connective tissue].

Radioactive calcium (45Ca) uptake and the effect of adrenaline on this process was studied on the suspension of cells derived from the monolayer cultures of fibroblasts of the skin of healthy donors and of patients with systemic scleroderma and rheumatic fever. A significant increase of calcium uptake was shown in case of scleroderma in comparison with the normal and rheumatism cases. Adrenaline (2 X 10(-7)--2 X 10(-5) M) enhanced the rate of calcium uptake by fibroblasts in control and had the opposite effect in scleroderma. The data obtained indicated alteration of the fibroblast membrane function in systemic scleroderma which could underlay the change in the metabolic activity of these cells.