Figure 2. CD8CD38^high T Cells Display Poor Cytotoxic Capacity.

(A) Representative histograms showing the expression of CD107a on CD8CD38^low and CD8CD38^high T cells from healthy subjects by flow cytometry. To measure CD107a expression, cells were stimulated with plate-coated CD3 and CD28 antibodies with Golgiplug and anti-CD107a for 5 h and stained with proper surface markers.

(B) Degranulation (%CD107a) of CD8 T cells from healthy subjects and patients with SLE evaluated by flow cytometry (healthy subjects = 8, SLE = 12; Welch’s test).

(C) Correlation between percentage of CD38^high and degranulation in CD8 T cells (healthy subjects = 8, SLE = 12; closed circles, healthy subjects; opened circles, SLE; Pearson’s correlation).

(D–F) Degranulation (%CD107a) of CD8 T cells sorted on CD38^low and CD38^high of both healthy subjects and patients with SLE in both groups (D) and separately in healthy subjects (E) and SLE (F) by flow cytometry (healthy subjects = 8, SLE = 12; closed circles, control; opened circles, SLE; healthy subjects = 8, SLE = 12; Welch’s test).

(G) Degranulation (%CD107a) of the different subpopulations of CD8 T cells sorted on CD38^low and CD38^high by flow cytometry (n = 5 healthy donors; one-way ANOVA with multiple comparison).

(H) Representative dot blots (left) and cumulative data (right) showing percentage of of Annexin V⁺ P815 cells after coincubation with CD8CD38^low or CD8CD38^high T cells from healthy subjects analyzed by flow cytometry (normal T cells = 4; Kolmogorov-Smirnov test).

In all figures, average data are represented as mean ± SD.