Normalized gene expression differed significantly between RA patients and disease controls for 11 out of the 12 signature genes, but the fold-changes were most striking for BCL3, PIM1 and SOCS3. Each of these genes is known to be regulated by STAT3, and their expression correlated significantly with paired CD4+ T cell phospho-STAT3 levels. This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and rheumatoid arthritis.