CD8A and systemic lupus erythematosus: In immune homeostasis, regulatory immune cells negatively moderate the immune response.24 Therefore, the dynamics of regulatory immune cells might participate in the pathogenesis of SLE.25 Notably, the higher percentages of CD8+ NKT cells were in the patients with SLE than those in the HCs (p=0.0061; figure 1A), which was attributable to higher percentages of CD8 NKTreg cells (p=0.0427; figure 1C).