The immunophenotyping demonstrated that s-CLL cells were characterised by the CD5lowCXCR4hi phenotype, while l-CLL cells were characterised by the CD5hiCXCR4dim phenotype and had a higher expression of CXCR3, CD20, CD38 and HLA-DR than s-CLL cells. Here, CD38 is linked to B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.