In total population, six of the ten miRNAs clearly distinguished RA serum samples after anti-TNFα/DMARDs combination therapy with high confidence level (P <0.05): (hsa-miR-125b, hsa-miR-126-3p, hsa-miR146a-5p, hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-23-3p, and hsa-miR-223-3p) all of them being increased after treatment (Figure 2A; Tables S3 and S4 in Additional file 1). Here, TNF is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.