Erythrocyte phosphate content in Huntington's disease.

Total phosphate was higher in erythrocytes of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) than in erythrocytes of age- and sex-matched normal adults. A more rapid rate of organic phosphate degradation was also noted in HD erythrocytes during metabolic depletion. These variations may be associated with alterations of membrane permeabilities of HD erythrocytes to inorganic phosphate and to cations.