Abstract: Four unique transcripts have been isolated from the .beta. chain of the T cell receptor in T cells in the synovial tissue of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Two of these transcripts were isolated from fresh synovial tissue and two were isolated from a T cell line derived from the synovial tissue. The sequences of the four transcripts are highly homologous, with a conserved amino acid sequence of IGQ.sub.-- N in the highly diverse V-D junction. The .alpha. chain and the antigenic specificity of the T cell line derived transcripts has also been characterized.