In the RA patients (combined RA and RA-ILD group), disease activity (DAS28CRP) was not correlated with level of CD45+ CD34+CD11b+ cells or cultured mature fibrocytes (r = −0.17, p = 0.47 and r = −0.31, p = 0.20 respectively). This evidence concerns the gene ITGAM and rheumatoid arthritis.