CD8+ TEMRAs in Asthma

Aberrant immune response is a hallmark of asthma, with 5-10% of patients suffering from disease. A better understanding of the immune response contributing to disease heterogeneity is critical for improving asthma management. T cells are central in the orchestration of immune responses in both mild and severe asthma, but it is unclear whether specific T cell subsets influence asthma symptoms or severity. This study evaluated whether specific T cell subsets including CD8+ effector memory T cells re-expressing CD45RA (TEMRAs) associated with disease severity. We performed flow cytometric immunophenotyping on PBMCs obtained from healthy controls and patients with either mild to moderate or severe asthma. Evaluation included expression of surface markers of senescence, cytokine secretion, and proliferation assays.