In line with these findings, in both early arthritis and established RA cohorts, Axl is consistently inversely correlated with IL-6 and CRP; moreover, we showed that the pathway analysis of the Axl module, including Axl gene-partners, is specifically enriched with IL-6-mediated signalling and cellular response to IL-6 pathways. This evidence concerns the gene AXL and rheumatoid arthritis.