To further explore the role of CTLA4 in the pathogenesis of CLL, and to confirm the involvement of CTLA4 in the regulation of the B-cell proliferation/survival signaling pathway, expression of c-Fos, phospho-c-Fos, STAT1, phospho-STAT1, NFATC2, and c-Myc was measured in control/untransfected CLL cells, CLL cells treated with irrelevant AS/siRNA, and CTLA4-downregulated CLL cells (Figure 2). This evidence concerns the gene FOS and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.