[Colony-forming fibroblast precursors of the circulating blood]

Colony-forming fibroblast precursors were detected in circulating blood of adult guinea pigs by CFUf in vitro colony assay. SFU amount to 0.9 +/- 0.2 (M +/- m) per 10(5) explanted leucocytes ranging from 0.04 X 10(-5) to 3.0 X 10(-5) for individual donors. The presence of collagen type I and lack of factor VIII antigen and of FC-receptors proved that CFU-derived colonies in the blood cultures were composed of fibroblasts.