KLRB1 and infection: Moreover, based on our findings of enhanced Th17-type cytokine functions of CD161+CD8+ T cells during chronic SIV infection, we hypothesize that this difference may be attributed to the large range in the duration of infection in the HIV cohort that included patients up to 288 months post-diagnosis [38] which results in progressive immune exhaustion in the global T cell compartment despite HAART.