ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the clinical significance of changes in levels of serum β2 microglobulin (β2-MG), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after treatment. Methods: A total of 89 patients with DLBCL who were admitted to the hospital between February 2015 an July 2017 were included in the DLBCL group and 40 normal, healthy persons admitted during the same period were selected as the control group. All DLBCL patients underwent standard chemotherapy after admission. Peripheral venous blood was collected before and after chemotherapy to determine any changes in serum β2-MG, VEGF, and LDH levels. Biomarker levels were also compared with those from normal, healthy subjects. The clinical and pathological data of all DLBCL patients were collected and the relationships between changes in biomarker levels, clinical and pathological parameters of DLBCL, and curative effects were analyzed. Results: The levels of serum β2-MG, VEGF, and LDH in the DLBCL group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05) and all levels in DLBCL group decreased after chemotherapy (P<0.05). The effective rate of the R-CHOP group was higher than that of the CHOP group (P<0.05). Serum LDH levels were higher in patients with typical B symptoms than in those without such symptoms (P<0.05). Serum levels of β2-MG, VEGF, and LDH were higher in patients with Ann Arbor stageⅢ-Ⅳlymphoma, with bone marrow involvement, whose international prognostic index (IPI) was high-risk, and with treatment failure than in those with stageⅠ-Ⅱlymphoma, without bone marrow involvement, with low-risk IPI, and with treatment response (P<0.05). The levels of serum VEGF, β2-MG, and LDH were positively correlated with each other, and all three biomarkers were negatively correlated with treatment response (P<0.05). Conclusions: Levels of serum β2-MG, VEGF, and LDH are elevated in patients with DLBCL but are significantly decreased after treatment. Changes in expression levels of these three biomarkers are related to clinical stage, bone marrow involvement, IPI, and treatment response. These biomarkers can be used as a basis for monitoring DLBCL and evaluating curative effect and prognosis.