To better delineate the involvement of known DC subsets in RA pathogenesis, we compared the number of circulating CD11c+HLA-DR+CD123- mDCs and CD11c-HLA-DR+CD123+ pDCs in peripheral blood from 61 active RA patients (free of TNFα-blocker treatment) and from 30 healthy volunteers. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.