To assess if overweight/obesity status might be related to aberrant systemic inflammation, levels of inflammatory (i.e. IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (i.e. IL-1RA) cytokines were assessed in PB of naive RA and in RA patients in stable clinical and ultrasound remission at the time of ST biopsy. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.