In a study by Iwahori et al.21, peripheral T cell cytotoxicity was shown to be correlated to T cell function in NSCLC tumours when compared to normal lung tissue, including the expression of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3) by CD8+ T cells, and the ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to produce interferon gamma. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and neoplasm.