In any case, in our study, ABA- and TCZ-treated patients showed a significantly reduced rate of effector memory CD8 T cells: these data probably reflect the well-known effect of ABA on T cell side in RA patients [46], as well as the known reduction of both naive T cell and memory CD8 cells described during TCZ treatment in RA patients [47]. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and rheumatoid arthritis.