In addition, patients with severe asthma had a higher percentage of CD8+CD28− and CD8+CD28−TCRalpha/beta+CD62Lhigh FoxP3bright T cells than the other groups after enrichment, suggesting that these cells might not be immunosuppressive or that their increased numbers in asthma might indicate a tissue damage-limiting function, as happens in the context of viral infections [reviewed by Josefowicz et al. (46)]. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and viral infectious disease.