CD8A and infection: Considering HIV infection is mainly a mucosal disease and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the foremost site for the virus replication given that it houses most of the body’s lymphocytes (including activated memory CD4+ T cells that are preferential targets for HIV), infection and progression of HIV is mainly characterized by incessant activation, rapid turnover, and activation-induced cell death of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations [44, 45].