Characterizing T cell subsets in the nasal mucosa of children with acute respiratory symptoms.

Background: In infants admitted to an ICU with respiratory failure, there is an association between the ratio of CD8 to CD4 T cells within the upper respiratory tract and disease severity. Whether this ratio is associated with respiratory disease severity within children presenting to a pediatric emergency department is not known.

Methods: We studied a convenience sample of 63 children presenting to a pediatric emergency department with respiratory symptoms.