EPIGENETIC METHOD FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OF CD8+ T LYMPHOCYTES, IN PARTICULAR CD8 ALPHA AND BETA T LYMPHOCYTES

摘要

The present invention relates to a method, in particular an in vitro method, for identifying CD8 positive subpopulations of a mammal, wherein said method comprises analyzing the bisulfite convertibility of at least one CpG position in the CD8 beta and CD8 alpha cell specific bisulfite convertibility gene region according to SEQ ID No. 1 and 2, wherein a bisulfite convertibility of at least one CpG position in said gene regions is indicative for a CD3+CD8+ and/or CD3+/−CD8+ cell. The analyzes according to the invention can identify CD3+CD8+ and/or CD3+/−CD8+ cells on an epigenetic level and distinguish them from all other cells in complex samples, such as, for example, other blood cells.