The majority of patients were female (84 %), with RA duration of 8.1±8.5 years, had moderate to severe disease activity at baseline (93 %), were naïve to anti-TNF drugs (94 %), were concurrently being treated with methotrexate (80 %) and were positive for ACPA antibodies (89 %). This evidence concerns the gene PRTN3 and rheumatoid arthritis.