Cholesterol and phospholipids in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with dystonia.

Cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with hereditary (recessive) torsion dystonia or adult-onset sporadic dystonia and from healthy volunteers were compared with respect to total cellular cholesterol, total phospholipid, and phospholipid composition. Differences that could be attributed specifically to dystonia were not detected. The data suggest that the reported cell membrane abnormality in recessive torsion dystonia does not involve a generalized defect in cholesterol or phospholipid metabolism.