Identification of PLA2G7 as a novel biomarker of diffuse large B cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma globally, and patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL typically experience poor long-term outcomes. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes associated with DLBCL were identified using two GEO datasets in an effort to detect novel diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers of this cancer type, after which receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted. Genes associated with DLBCL patient prognosis were additionally identified via WCGNA analyses of the TCGA database. The expression of PLA2G7 in DLBCL patient clinical samples was further assessed, and the functional role of this gene in DLBCL was assessed through in vitro and bioinformatics analyses. RESULTS: DLBCL-related DEGs were found to be most closely associated with immune responses, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. WCGNA analyses revealed that PLA2G7 exhibited prognostic value in DLBCL patients, and the upregulation of this gene in DLBCL patient samples was subsequently validated. PLA2G7 was also found to be closely linked to tumor microenvironmental composition such that DLBCL patients expressing higher levels of this gene exhibited high local monocyte and gamma delta T cell levels. In vitro experiments also revealed that knocking down PLA2G7 expression was sufficient to impair the migration and proliferation of DLBCL cells while promoting their apoptotic death. Furthmore, the specific inhibitor of PLA2G7, darapladib, could noticeably restrained the DLBCL cell viability and induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: PLA2G7 may represent an important diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic biomarker in patients with DLBCL. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08660-4.