CD8A and cancer: Interestingly, lymphoma patients exhibited higher baseline levels (unstimulated) of AIM marker expression in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells compared to HC post-vaccination (CD4, p = 0.0096 and CD8, p = 0.0002), suggesting preexisting low-level immune activation71 potentially due to malignancy-related inflammation (Fig. 5E, F).