Although most of the samples showed no significant differences in cellular composition among the three groups, in patients with periodontitis the proportion of CD8+ T cells was slightly lower, while naïve CD8T cells were slightly higher compared to those in healthy controls, but these changes were partially rescued after therapeutic intervention (p = 0.062 and p =, respectively), (Additional file 4: Fig. S1A, B). Here, CD8A is linked to periodontitis.