Gender-dependent frequency of unconventional T cells in a healthy adult Caucasian population: A combinational study of invariant NKT cells, γδ T cells, and mucosa-associated invariant T cells

This study tested the hypothesis of gender bias in frequency of unconventional T cells. Unconventional T cells exist as minor subsets of T cells in peripheral blood. Despite their low number, they play a crucial role in various immune-mediated diseases such as inflammation, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer. Gender-based frequency of these cells altogether on large number of healthy individuals are unestablished creating hurdles to manifest association with various immune-mediated pathologic conditions. In this study, we used a multicolor flow cytometric panel to identify iNKT cells, gamma delta T cells, and MAIT cells altogether in the peripheral blood samples of 93 healthy adult males and 109 healthy adult females from the Caucasian population. The results revealed iN KT cell median value (%T cells) in females was higher: 0.114% ranging from 0.011 to 3.84%, than males: 0.076% (p value 0.0292), ranging from 0.007 to 0.816% and found to be negatively correlated with age in females (p value 0.0047). However, gamma delta T cell median value in males was higher: 2.52% ranging from 0.31 to 16.09%, than females: 1.79% (p value 0.0155), ranging from 0.078 to 12.49% and each gender was negatively correlated with age (male p value 0.0003 and female p value 0.0007). MAIT cell median values were 3.04% ranging from 0.11 to 10.75% in males and 2.67% ranging from 0.2 to 18.36% in females. MAIT cells did not show any statistically significant difference between genders and found to be negatively correlated with age (p value < 0.0001). Our results could be used for further gender-wise investigations of various pathologic conditions such as cancer and their prognosis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and their pathogenicity.