Prognostic significance of AIF expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Dysregulation of apoptosis in diffuse B-large cell lymphoma (DLBCL) contributes to increased tumor proliferation, as well as the formation of resistance to treatment. One of the most relevant areas of molecular research is the study of the mechanisms of programmed cell death - apoptosis. The AIF (Apoptosis Inducing Factor) protein participates in the regulation of the caspase-independent pathway of cell death and is a potential predictor of the course of DLBCL. To evaluate the prognostic value of AIF expression in DLBCL. A retrospective study included 100 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. All patients received standard 1st line therapy according to the R-CHOP scheme. Using histological, immunohistochemical studies of lymph nodes and/or other organs involved in the pathological process were performed. A morphometric calculation of the data was carried out with the determination of the percentage of AIF-expressing tumor cells. The threshold level of expression of these proteins was calculated using by the ROC analysis (57%). Based on the threshold, patients were divided into groups with high (above threshold) and low (subthreshold) protein levels. The calculation of overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method with graphical construction of the corresponding curves, the levels of factors were compared using the log-rank test criterion. The independent influence of factors on the course of DLBCL was determined using multivariate Cox regression analysis. The subthreshold level of AIF was associated with low rates of OS and PFS of patients (34.9 and 48.8%, respectively). As a result of multivariate Cox analysis, it was found that the AIF protein is an independent prognostic marker for the course of DLBCL. The subthreshold value of AIF expression is associated with low OS and PFS in patients.