HIV-specific CD45RO⁻/RA⁺ CD8⁺ T cells are more resistant to apoptosis than the CD45RO⁺ subset. (A) PBMCs from treated participants were magnetically separated based on CD45RA expression and then cultured in the absence of exogenous mediators. The absolute number of HIV-specific CD8⁺ T cells was calculated before and after culture. The percentage survival of HIV-specific CD45RO⁺ and CD45RA⁺ CD8⁺ T cells after 6 days in culture is presented for cells from 7 participants. (B,C) The relative percentage of CD127⁺ cells and the relative Bcl-2 mean fluorescence intensity in the CD45RO⁺ and CD45RO⁻/RA⁺ HIV-specific CD8⁺ subsets are presented in 11 and 10 participants, respectively.