The question whether elevated levels of circulating CD5L in CP-CML reflects a coordinated response of infection and inflammation or relates to myeloid leukemia as a function of anti-apoptotic factor, suggests large-scale trials with enrolments of lymphoid- and myeloid-leukemia (ALL, CLL, AML, CML) patients from diverse population groups. The gene discussed is CD5L; the disease is B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.