[Study of human synovial cells in culture]

Normal human synovial cells are cultivated in vitro; they actively multiply and fibroblast-like cells with structural characteristics of intermediate synoviocytes are obtained. In view of analyzing some functional aspects of this cell line, their endocytotic capacities have been studied. They also have been cultivated in a medium deprived of serum; a new cell type develops ("dendritic cells"). The latter are analyzed (cell division, endocytosis). As a comparison, human pulmonary fibroblasts (W I 38 line) and mouse macrophages are cultivated and studied under the same experimental conditions.