They stimulated synovial fibroblasts from RA patients and human CD14+ monocyte-derived macrophages with TNF ex vivo, and identified 280 TNF-inducible arthritogenic genes, including IL-6, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)8, CXCL10, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-19. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and rheumatoid arthritis.