CD8A and infection: In addition, CD8 depletion led to a higher level of average plasma virus production per long-lived infected cell in pre-infection depleted animals (controls, 5.2 × 104 SIV RNA copies ml−1/CA-DNA copies per 106 cells vs pre-infection, 1.86 × 105 (P < 0.001 vs control) and pre-ART, 8.7 × 104 (P = 0.14 vs controls)) (Extended Data Fig. 8c).