For comparison, 41 individuals with RA not taking glucocorticoids (22/41 treated with methotrexate alone, 1/41 treated with sulfasalazine, 1/41 treated with leflunomide, 5/41 treated with TNF inhibitors combination therapy, 5/41 treated with abatacept combination therapy, 7/41 treatment naive) and 82 non-ARD control patients, satisfying the same inclusion/exclusion criteria, were recruited. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and rheumatoid arthritis.