[Unusual nucleolar types in lymphocytes of inflammatory joint exudates]

The study of the nucleoli in the lymphocytes of human peripheral blood and articular exudations revealed that the lymphocytes in inflammatory articular exudations possess not only a higher number of compact nucleoli, nucleoli with nucleolonemas and micronucleoli but also a higher number of horseshoe-shaped and bead-shaped nucleoli. Since the horseshoe-shaped and bead-shaped nucleoli are apparently a morphological expression of progressive inhibition of synthesis of nucleolar RNA, their higher number in mature lymphocytes of articular exudations indicates that the inflammatory process in articular exudations is associated with progressive inhibition of nucleolar RNA in mature lymphocytes (11). This observation is added to the previously reported (12) stimulation of transcription of this nucleic acid in activated lymphocytes.