CD8 (LEU2 T-lymphocyte antigen, OKT8 T cell antigen, T cell surface glycoprotein, T lymphocyte differentiation antigen T8/Leu2, p32)

CD8 is an cell surface antigen that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. CD8 is crucial to the positive selection of cytotoxic T cells in the thymus. Serum levels of sCD8 have been found to be of importance in patients with the following diseases: leukemia, allograft transplantation, as a marker for T-cell activation in HIV, Graves' and Hashimoto's di­seases, Multiple Sclerosis, depression, diabetes, and infectious mononucleosis.