Consistent with this finding, we measured the enhanced levels of ADAM17 in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with RA (Fig. 5b and c), and we found that TNF-α and IL-6 stimulated the secretion of ADAM17 by monocytes/macrophages detected in the patients with RA in this study (Fig. 5d). This evidence concerns the gene ADAM17 and rheumatoid arthritis.