The biology of the rheumatoid synovial cell.

Over the past 15 years, many of the elaborate research techniques of cell biology and biochemistry have been applied toward discovering the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Consequently, it is valuable to review the morphological, physiological and biochemical alterations that have been observed in rheumatoid synovial cells. All of the changes observed suggest that a viral agent may form the basis for these alterations. However, studies to date have failed to isolate or identify the putative causative virus and the search continues.