Transcriptomic profiling of CD8+ T cells from steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant asthmatics and healthy controls

The heterogeneity of asthma has prompted attempts at classifications based on clinical phenotypes and cluster designations. Although helpful, reliance on clinical parameters fails to address fundamental issues resulting in specific phenotypes, in particular, steroid-resistant (SR) asthma. Limited data are available defining the mechanisms or pathways (endotypes) causing the failure of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in SR asthmatics. Unlike CD4+ T cells, both human and mouse CD8+ T cells fail to undergo apoptosis in the presence of corticosteroids (CS) positioning them as unique effector cells. Whole transcriptome analyses of peripheral CD8+ T cells from steroid-sensitive or steroid-resistant asthmatics or healthy controls on days 0 and 8 were performed. Overall design: RNA-sequencing of activated (anti-CD3/CD2) CD8+ T cells purified from the peripheral blood from steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant asthmatics and healthy controls on day 0 and cultured in the presence of IL-2 for 8 days.