Enriched in peripheral blood of patients with active autoimmune hepatitis, they could promote B-differentiation and potentially autoreactive CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity and, to our knowledge AIH is the first autoimmune disease for which the frequency of these circulating cells is demonstrated to have a predictive value and could be used as a biomarker to risk stratify patients prior to treatment withdrawal attempt. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and autoimmune hepatitis.