The high frequency of HTLV-1-specific IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and in peripheral blood seen in HAM/TSP patients suggest that T-cell responses do not prevent development of disease, contributing instead to the proinflammatory milieu characteristic of HTLV-1 related syndromes[14–16]. The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is tropical spastic paraparesis.