We generated transcriptome data for six circulating immune cell types (CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD19+ B lymphocytes, CD14+ monocytes, CD15+ granulocytes, platelets) as well as ileal, colonic, and rectal biopsies (IL, TR, RE), collected from 323 healthy Europeans (141 men, 182 women, average age 56 years, visiting the clinic as part of a national screening campaign for colon cancer) using Illumina HT12 arrays (CEDAR data set; Methods). The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is colonic neoplasm.