As IL-15 governs the proper trafficking of CD8 T cells to peripheral tissue sites [21–24], we hypothesize that IL-15 serves a central role in the recruitment and activation of CD8 T cells in atherosclerosis, and that local expression of CX3CL1 and IL-15 work in concert to induce the activation and chemoattraction of CX3CR1+ CD8 T cells that are capable of endothelial damage, in turn promoting development of atherosclerosis. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and atherosclerosis.