The population of the virus specific CD8+ T-lymphocytes and their cytotoxic activity focused on infected cells or the separate Herpesviridae peptide epitopes is decreased both in the early and late stage RA in contrast to an abundant and hyperactivated whole population of CD8+ T cells of various specificities (Moss et al., 1983; Gaston et al., 1986; Toussirot et al., 2000; Shimojima et al., 2008; Carvalheiro et al., 2015). The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.