Whereas canonical CD8+ effector memory T cells sustain their antiviral effects through either IL-2 or IL-15, we found that CD8+ TEMRAs differentially upregulated CD38 compared with CD8+CD45RO+ T cells (Figure 3C), which may dampen their antiviral activity, increased CD38 expression having been previously shown to reduce cytotoxic functions of CD8+ T cells against viral infection in patients with lupus (54). This evidence concerns the gene IL15 and viral infectious disease.