IL6 and rheumatoid arthritis: Others have shown IL-17-induced increases in IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression and secretion from fibroblasts isolated from patients treated with RA undergoing joint replacement surgery.38 In agreement with our data, a combination treatment of IL-17 with TNF-α amplified IL-8 gene expression, but in contrast with our findings no changes in IL-6 were observed.