A comparison of the percentage of each immunophenotype among PBMCs revealed significantly increased naïve CD8+ T cells, terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells (TEMRA), activated CD8+ T cells (including both Tc1 and type 17 CD8+ T cell (Tc17) subsets), activated CD4+ T cells, double-negative B cells, plasmocytes and monocytes in patients with SLE than those in HCs (p<0.05; figure 1). This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and systemic lupus erythematosus.