Total levels of global circulating CD8+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with HBV-associated HCC compared with healthy comparisons [41,54], and levels of terminally differentiated effector CD8+ T cells were higher in HBV-associated HCC [21] with the majority being effector CD8+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells [21,34]. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and hepatocellular carcinoma.