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The aim of our study was to explore the relationship between circulating T cells and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to find the role of the CD8+CD122+ T cells in the pathogenesis and progression of AS. With the method of case-control design, flow cytometry was performed to quantitatively determine the percentage of circulating CD8 + CD122 + T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from established AS patients and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-2, interleukin-10, interleukin-15, TGF-β1, and TNF-ɑ were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The t test was used to compare differences between groups, correlation analysis with Spearman rank test and Pearson correlation was performed. The percentage of circulating CD8 + CD122 + T cells were significantly increased in AS patients compared with controls (Z = - 4.917, P = 0.001). Plasma IL-2, IL-10, IL-15, TGF-β1, and TNF-ɑ levels between cases and controls were analyzed but no statistically significant differences were found. The percentage of circulating CD8 + CD122 + T cells were not significantly different in the two groups of patients with AS whether they were treated or not. In addition, the percentage of circulating CD8 + CD122 + T cells was positively correlated with disease duration, CRP, and ASDAS-CRP. The CD8 + CD122 + T cells in the peripheral blood of AS patients may be involved in the development of AS, and they may coordinate regulate inflammation and immune dysregulation in patients with AS, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of AS.