Question:medium

In rheumatoid arthritis, which type of cells are prominently present in the hypertrophied synovial lining?

Show Hint

Which cell, with fibroblasts, builds up the thickened synovial intimal lining?
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • B cells
  • T cells
  • Macrophages
  • Dendritic cells
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Separate the synovium into two zones. The thin surface intimal lining and the deeper subintimal stroma behave differently in rheumatoid arthritis, and the question asks specifically about the prominent lining cell.
Step 2: In rheumatoid disease the lining swells from a few cells to 8 to 10 cells deep. This expanded lining is built mainly of fibroblast-like synoviocytes together with macrophages. Of the listed choices, the macrophage is the prominent lining cell, giving option C.
Step 3: Exclude the rest. CD4+ T cells and B cells gather in the sublining to form ectopic lymphoid follicles and sustain autoimmunity, but they sit beneath, not within, the lining layer. Dendritic cells contribute to antigen presentation yet remain numerically minor. So the standout lining cell is the macrophage.
\[\boxed{\text{Macrophages}}\]
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