Using the validated qPCR assays, we found that men with RA had significantly increased TLR7 CN (mean: 1.05 ± 0.11 copies) and TLR8 CN (mean 1.09 ± 0.21 copies) in blood DNA samples compared to healthy men (respectively, 0.97 ± 0.07 copies, P < 0.0001 and 0.97 ± 0.08 copies, P < 0.0001, Fig. 3). The gene discussed is TLR8; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.