MAVS and infection: HIV-specific CD8 T cells from individuals homozygous for the minor genotype of two linked SNPs (rs7262903 and rs7269320) in the MAVS gene (MAVS -/-) which has previously been associated with a delayed viral load incline over the course of infection [48, 67], showed a distinct transcription profile when compared to the other HIV-infected groups, and formed a separate cluster in the PCA.