3.4 A specific cluster of Tregs, identified in peripheral
CD4+ T cells, is inversely associated with disease
severity
We hypothesized that cluster 11, primarily composed of activated Tregs,
plays a critical role in modulating skin inflammation and is associated
with psoriasis severity. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed 38 blood
samples and found a negative correlation between the percentage of
cluster 11 cells and PASI score (Figure 4A). Furthermore, when patients
were categorized into low (PSAI ≤ 4.5), medium (4.5 < PASI
< 9), and high (PASI ≥ 9) PASI groups, those with high PASI
scores exhibited the lowest percentage of cluster 11 compared to healthy
controls (Figure 4B). These findings suggest that a higher proportion of
the activated Tregs, represented by cluster 11, may contribute to
reduced skin inflammation in psoriasis patients.