A panel of anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2, MCL1, and BCL2L1 (BCL-XL)), and the pro-apoptotic genes PMAIP1 (NOXA) and BCL2L11 (BIM), were analyzed by independent qRT-PCR in a subset of primary CLL samples. Here, MCL1 is linked to B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.