Cross-sectional Study of Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Assessing the Effect of Host Status, Tumor Burden, and Inflammatory Activity on Venous Thromboembolism

The risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are not clear although thrombosis can be associated with host status, tumor burden, and inflammatory activity. We assessed the effect of those factors on VTE in a cross-sectional study of patients enrolled in a prospective cohort study.

We analyzed the occurrence of VTE in 322 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL who received rituximab with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) between 2008 and 2011. Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured from serum samples archived at diagnosis.

With a median follow-up duration of 41.9 months, VTE was documented in 34 patients (10.6%). A comparison of baseline characteristics indicated the group with VTE had higher percentage of old age, stage III/IV and extranodal involvements than the group without VTE (p < 0.05). Thus, the International Prognostic Index was significantly associated with VTE, but the Khorana score was not. A univariate competing risk factor analysis for VTE revealed that increased levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 were also associated with VTE (p < 0.05) in addition to host and tumor burden. However, a multivariate analysis showed that two host factors including age (≥ 60 years) and poor performance were independent risk factors for VTE.

Among potential risk factors for VTE including tumor burden and inflammatory activity, age and performance status had a strong impact on the occurrence of VTE in patients with DLBCL who received R-CHOP.