While clinical studies have shown increased Tc cells in circulation and endomyocardial biopsies in inflammatory DCM patients [82], preclinical studies have shown that activated CD8+ T lymphocytes infiltrate the ischemic myocardium as early as one day post-MI and alter cardiac healing by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and gzmB [80,81]. Here, CD8A is linked to myocardial infarction.