Lymphocyte stimulation in Reiter's syndrome. A comparative study between patients and normal controls with special reference to HLA-B27.

The lymphocyte-stimulating capacity of bacterial antigens from Yersinia enterocolitica and Chlamydia trachomatis was studied in 14 patients with Reiter's syndrome and compared with 16 healthy controls. The influence of HLA-B27 was evaluated. There was an increased reactivity in patients compared with controls. The most pronounced reactivity was seen in HLA-B27-positive patients. These findings support the hypothesis that there is an impaired T-cell function in HLA-B27-associated diseases.