In the present study, our results show that the positive expression rates of CD3 and CD8 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were 17.9% and 26.5%, respectively, and both significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and III-IV TNM stage, suggesting that CD3 and CD8 in TILs of CRC is related to tumor progression. Here, CD8A is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.