Ultrastructural characterisation of macrophages (type A cells) in the synovial lining.

The ultrastructural localisation of class II and macrophage antigens has been sought in the intimal layer of the human synovium. The cells described as type A in early morphological studies are shown to express both class II antigens and two markers of the macrophage/monocyte lineage of cells, OKM1 and MAB 24. The morphological type B cells were found to express none of these antigens. The findings are consistent with the idea that the synovial lining comprises two cell types, bone-marrow derived macrophages and mesenchymal fibroblasts.