Influence of Quantum Dots Protein Crown on the Morphology and Morphometric Characteristics of Lymphocytes

The incubation of quantum dots with lymphocytes induced significant changes in all morphometric characteristics of these cells. Protein crown formed on the surface of quantum dots after incubation with the serum consists mainly of transport proteins, immunoglobulins, blood coagulation proteins, and kininogens. Protein crown changes the morphometric characteristics of cells: in the case of incubation with quantum dots that have low-molecular-weight coating, a shift towards control parameters (cells without exposure) was observed; on the contrary, after incubation with quantum dots that have a high-molecular-weight coating, the differences from the control became more pronounced. It can be hypothesized that protein crown provokes autoagression of lymphocytes against each other and against platelets.