In a recent study involving long-standing RA patients, the analysis of transcriptome profile of highly inflamed synovial tissue demonstrated the upregulation of transcripts related to the signaling pathways mediated by TLR, TNF, IFN, and IL-6 receptors and related to chemotactic and inflammatory processes, overlapping with those monocyte/macrophage patterns activated by bacterial and fungal pathogens, such as LPS (79). Here, TNF is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.