Application of the CD3+CD8+CD161+ index to compare a cohort of active tuberculosis with a cohort of LTBI or health control yielded 0.7662 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6559–0.8552) or 0.7922 (95%  CI 0.6846–0.8763) for sensitivity and 0.9048 (95%  CI 0.8209–0.9580) or 0.8939 (95% CI 0.8392–0.9349) for specificity when the TB cohort was AFB+; the corresponding results were 0.7481 (95%  CI 0.6648–0.8198) or 0.7557 (95%  CI 0.6730–0.8265) for sensitivity and 0.8571 (95%  CI 0.7637–0.9239) or 0.8603 (95%  CI 0.8008–0.9075) for specificity when the TB cohort was AFB−. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and tuberculosis.