Some of the IL-4 targets, and some of the genes whose levels were altered by culture but stabilized by IL-4, were previously related to apoptosis, and their responses were often stronger in CLL (e.g. CASP3, GFI1, ICAM1, LNPEP, NCF2, NFKBIZ, RPS6KA2, GADD45B). This evidence concerns the gene NCF2 and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.