These results are similar to those reported by others.6,8 There were no differences in the polyfunctionality in either the EBV-specific or total CD8+ T cell pool between CLL patients and HC, indicating that cytokine production by EBV-specific CD8+ T cells is functionally intact in CLL patients, and is not implicated in T cell dysfunction in CLL (Fig. 3F). This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.