Researchers of a study developed an International Prognostic Index-based immune prognostic model (IPI-IPM) that yields robust prognostic capabilities for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. The results were published in Frontiers in Immunology.
To conduct this study, the researchers obtained gene expression data and clinical DLBCL information from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. They were able to discern and analyze a total of 371 immune-related genes in DLBCL patients associated with different IPI risk groups identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Eight genes were selected to construct an IPI-IPM. The IPI-IPM was built based on the expression of CMBL, TLCD3B, SYNDIG1, ESM1, EPHA3, HUNK, PTX3, and IL12A, where high-risk patients had worse overall survival than low-risk patients, which the researchers noted was consistent with the results in the independent validation cohorts.
The study results showed that high IPI-IPM risk scores were associated with immune-related signaling pathways, high KMT2D and CD79B mutation rates, and upregulation of inhibitory immune checkpoints, including PD-L1, BTLA, and SIGLEC7, indicating a greater potential response to ICB therapy.
“The IPI-IPM has independent prognostic significance for DLBCL patients, which provides an immunological perspective to elucidate the mechanisms of tumor progression and sheds light on the development of immunotherapy for DLBCL,” the researchers concluded.
