We suggest that the robust RA HLA association with TEX that we identified was due to our experimental design, which used a broad definition of TEX (as opposed to TEX subsets), built from the observation that age and CMV seropositivity are not the only factors that contribute to increased TIGIT+KLRG1+ TEX, as well as the risk and non-risk RA HLA groups being matched for disease co-factors including age and stage of disease. The gene discussed is KLRG1; the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.