The down-regulation of TIM-3 on CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells, as analysed by flow cytometry, may allow Th1 cells to escape galectin-9- induced cell-death, which is consistent with previous results from our group demonstrating that BALF lymphocytes from sarcoidosis patients displayed a non-apoptotic morphology and seemed to be resistant to apoptosis [26]. Here, CD8A is linked to sarcoidosis.