It is likely that, in those patients, the B cell depletion and the resulting reduced secretion of pro‐inflammatory mediators by immune cells (ie IL‐6, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and IL‐8) might decrease the levels of these monocyte‐activating molecules 12, 23 in the serum of treated SLE and RA patients, thus preventing the activation of this cell population. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.