BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), is heterogeneous on molecular and clinical levels, therefore, its prognosis is difficult to predict. This study aimed to evaluate the value of Blimp-1 protein and Hans classification in predicting the prognosis of DLBCL and their interrelation.

METHODSThe clinical records of 136 patients with DLBCL were reviewed. The patients were followed up for 5-80 months (median, 39 months). Immunohistochemical staining for CD10, MUM1, Bcl-6, and Blimp-1 were performed on paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from the 136 patients. The correlations of Blimp-1 protein and Hans classification in prognosis of DLBCL and their interrelation were analyzed.

RESULTSBlimp-1 was detected in 38 (30.0%) patients, and was associated with a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (P = 0.030). Using the Hans classification based upon the expression of CD10, Bcl-6, and MUM1, 54 patients had germinal center B-cell (GCB) phenotype and 82 had non-GCB phenotype. The 5-year OS rate was 75% in the GCB group and 52% in the non-GCB group (P = 0.020). The positive rate of Blimp-1 was 22.2% in the GCB group and 31.7% in the non-GCB group (P = 0.329). The Cox regression multivariate analysis showed that international prognosis index (IPI) and Hans classification had independent prognostic significance, whereas Blimp-1 was not an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONSThe patients with GCB subtype of DLBCL had better prognosis than the non-GCB subtype. High level of Blimp-1 expression in the patients with DLBCL implies a shorter survival, but it is not associated with Hans classification.