To investigate the role played by plasmatic lipids in the altered erythrocyte deformability observed in cirrhotic patients we studied 15 patients with liver cirrhosis (histologically diagnosed) and 10 healthy volunteers. Erythrocyte filtration time, plasmatic free and esterified cholesterol and phospholipids were measured in all subjects. The erythrocyte filtration time resulted to be significantly increased in cirrhotic patients (35'' +/- 3, 35 M +/- SEM) when compared to control subjects (26'' +/- 2, 53: M +/- SEM) (t = 2,078 p less than 0,05). This increase correlated in cirrhotic patients (but not in control subjects) with free/esterified cholesterol ratio (p less than 0,01) as well as free cholesterol/phospholipid ratio (p less than 0,001). Our results confirm that decreased erythrocyte deformability in cirrhotic patients which is accompanied by altered erythrocyte morphology is due, at least in part, to the altered lipids blood levels.