[Study of a sub-population of T-lymphocytes with the HLA-DR molecule in rheumatoid polyarthritis]

The sub-population of T-lymphocytes which express the DR antigen was studied in 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in 42 controls. The sub-population of T-lymphocytes which express DR was found to be larger in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This increase is even more marked in cases of rheumatoid arthritis with high erythrocyte sedimentation rates and with a high level of immune complexes.