The aim of this study was to assess the association of gender, gestational and postnatal age, preeclampsia (PE), premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and prenatal steroid treatment (PS) with the frequency of activated T lymphocyte subsets (CD69+, CD25+, CD62L+, HLA-DR) and major T lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4, CD8, Th1, Th2, naïve, memory) in peripheral blood during the first postnatal week in preterm neonates. The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is preeclampsia.