Objective To investigate the expression of transcription factor LMO3 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its prognostic significance.

Methods The clinical data of 82 patients with DLBCL diagnosed by pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University were collected. The expression of LMO3 in DLBCL was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The relationships of the expression of LMO3 with the clinical features and prognosis of DLBCL were analyzed.

Results Among 82 patients with DLBCL, 19 (23.2%) were positive for LMO3 and 63 (76.8%) were negative. There were no significant differences in terms of gender, international prognostic index(IPI) score, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, immunophenotype and etc. in LMO3 expression patients (P>0.05). The expression of LMO3 was correlated with age, Ann Arbor stage, symptoms in group B, Eastern Oncology Consortium (ECOG) score and positive expression for CD5(P < 0.05). The progression-free survival time and total survival time of LMO3 positive group were shorter than those of LMO3 negative group, the progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate of LMO3 positive patients were lower than those of LMO3 negative patients(P < 0.05). The progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate of CD5 and LMO3 double expression positive patients were lower than those of double expression negative patients (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that age>60 years old, CD5 positive expression, LMO3 positive expression, Ⅲ to Ⅳ AnnArbor stage, group B symptoms, ECOG score>1, IPI score>2 were risk factors for overall survival, while age>60 years, CD5 positive expression, LMO3 positive expression, Ⅲ to Ⅳ AnnArbor stage, group B symptoms, ECOG score>1, IPI score>2, and CHOP regimen were risk factors for progression free survival. Multivariate analysis showed that group B symptoms and IPI score>2 were the independent risk factors of the total survival time.

Conclusion The expression of LMO3 in DLBCL may become a new immune site to predict its prognosis. The expression of LMO3 in DLBCL is correlated with its clinical features, and there is a significant correlation between the expression of CD5 and LMO3 in DLBCL, and there may be a related pathogenic mechanism or signal pathway, which is expected to become a new target of immunotherapy.