Increased TIM3+CD8+T cells in Myelodysplastic Syndrome patients displayed less perforin and granzyme B secretion and higher CD95 expression

•Decreased CD8+T cells and less IFN-γ secretion of CD8+T in MDS patients.•Increased expression of TIM3 in CD8+ T cells in MDS patients.•Differential expression of CD95, perforin and granzyme B in TIM3+ versus TIM3- CD8+ T cells in MDS.

T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3(TIM3) is a negative regulator of cellular immunity and it is highly expressed on CD8+T cells in persistent viral infection and cancer setting as report. However, how TIM3 expressed on CD8+T cells in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), that is a malignant disorder, has not been clarified. Here, decreased CD8+T cells, less IFN-γ secretion in CD8+T cells and increased TIM3 on CD8+T cells had been seen. Increased TIM3+CD8+T cells with lower perforin and granzyme B expression and higher CD95 expression in MDS patients had been observed. These findings suggested that TIM3 might be related to CD8+T cells defect. Therefore, further explorations about mechanism of TIM3+CD8+T cells defect are needed, which might be helpful for adoptive T-cell therapy in MDS.