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Objective To observe the expression changes of lymphatic vessel endothelial receptor-1（LYVE1)+ macrophages in the synovial tissues of patients with rheumatoid arthritis （RA） and their inhibitory effects on migration, invasion, and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation （FMT). Methods Immunofluorescence staining was used to qualita‐ tively and quantitatively detect LYVE1 and CD68 in synovial tissues of 45 RA patients and 45 osteoarthritis （OA） pa‐ tients. Human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were treated with LYVE1 overexpression lentivirus in the culture medium, and LYVE1-expressing THP-1 cells were obtained after 48 h of cultivation. These cells were induced with 100 ng/mL phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate （PMA） for 48 h to obtain LYVE1+ macrophages. Another portion of THP-1 cells were induced by only 100 ng/mL PMA for 48 h to obtain LYVE1- macrophages. Human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblasts MH7A in the logarithmic growth phase were divided into theLYVE1+ macrophage group and LYVE1- macrophage group, which were added withLYVE1+ macrophages and LYVE1- macrophages, separately. In addition, the cells containing only medium were set as the blank control group. Scratch experiment was performed to observe the migration ability of cells in each group. MH7A cells were divided into groups A, B, and C, which were added withLYVE1+ macrophages, LYVE1- macrophages, and only culture medium, respectively. Transwell invasion experiment was conducted to observe the invasion ability of cells in each group. MH7A cells were divided into the group one, group two, and the blank control group, which were added withLYVE1+ macrophages, LYVE1- macrophages, and only culture medium, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of FMT-related genes （COL1A1, fibronectin, α-SMA） in MH7A cells after 48 h of culture. Results The expression locations of LYVE1 and CD68 in the synovial tissues of RA and OA patients overlapped. The relative expression levels of LYVE1 in the synovial tissues of RA and OA patients were 0. 319±0. 033 and 1. 000±0. 159, respectively, with statistically significant difference between these two groups （both P<0. 05). Compared with the LYVE1- macrophage group and the blank control group, theLYVE1+ macro‐ phage group had lower cell scratch healing at 24 and 48 h of cultivation （all P<0. 05). Compared with groups B and C, the number of transmembrane cells in the group A was smaller at 24 h of cultivation （P<0. 05). Compared with groups two and the blank control group, the relative expression levels of COL1A1 mRNA, fibronectin mRNA, and α-SMA mRNA in the group one were lower at 48 h of cultivation （all P<0. 05). ConclusionLYVE1+ macrophages are underexpressed in the synovial tissues of RA patients, andLYVE1+ macrophages can inhibit the migration, invasion, and FMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]