title: Tissue resident memory T cells in the human conjunctiva and immune signatures in human dry eye disease.
abstract: Non-recirculating resident memory (TRM) and recirculating T cells mount vigorous immune responses to both self and foreign antigens in barrier tissues like the skin, lung and gastrointestinal tract. Using impression cytology followed by flow cytometry we identified two TRMsubsets and four recirculating T-subsets in the healthy human ocular surface. In dry eye disease, principal component analysis (PCA) revealed two clusters of patients with distinct T-cell signatures. Increased conjunctival central memory and naïve T cells characterized Cluster-1 patients, and increased CD8+TRMs and CD4+recirculating memory T cells characterized Cluster-2 patients. Interestingly these T-cell signatures are associated with different clinical features: the first signature correlated with increased ocular redness, and the second with reduced tear break up times. These findings open the door to immune-based characterization of dry eye disease and T-subset specific immunotherapies to suppress T-subsets involved in disease. They may also help with patient stratification during clinical trials of immunomodulators.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Infection and Immunity Theme, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, 636921, Singapore.
authors.forename: Tanima
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute, 20 College Road, 169856, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute, 20 College Road, 169856, Singapore.|Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore.
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute, 20 College Road, 169856, Singapore.|Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore.|Singapore National Eye Center, 11, Third Hospital Avenue, 168751, Singapore.|Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 1E Kent Ridge Road Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 119228, Singapore.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Infection and Immunity Theme, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, 636921, Singapore.
authors.forename: K George
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Chandy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000276:immunology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025341:Principal Component Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D013666:Tears / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens