Cellular apoptotic mechanisms induced by extrinsic (i.e., death receptor) and intrinsic (i.e., mitochondrial) pathways have been suggested to be major contributors to the numerical reduction in total CD4 and CD8 T cells following sepsis (68), but the definitive molecule responsible for initiating lymphocyte apoptosis during sepsis has yet to be indentified. The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is Sepsis.