ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION CLL is the most frequent hematological malignancy in the Western Hemisphere, accounting for 30% of all leukemias [1-3] and for an annual incidence of 1.8 to 3.0 per 100,000 in the U.S. [4,5]. The main characteristic ofCLL is a monoclonal proliferation with progressive accumulation of functionally incompetent, long-lived small lymphocytes of B cell (95%) or T cell (5%) lineage [6-8]. It initially develops in the bone marrow and peripheral blood; in later stages it accumulates in the lymphatic organs [6]. The clinical course is variable, with patient survival ranging from only a few years to 15 years [7,8].
