Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Multiplexed Immunofluorescence Analysis and Quantification of Intratumoral PD-1+ Tim-3+ CD8+ T Cells
Published on: February 8, 2018
Expression of PD-L1 and YWHAZ in Patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma: A Possible Association with the
Shufang Yan1,2,3, Qinyu Shang1, Zhaopu Fan1
1Department of Critical Care Medicine of Karamay Central Hospital, No. 67, Junggar Road, Karamay Region, Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 834000, China.
Abstract:
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common pathological subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and is the most common type of adult lymphoma. Due to the poor prognosis of relapsed/refractory DLBCL, new drug targets and therapeutic methods are urgently needed. We investigated the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activating protein zeta (14-3-3ζ or YWHAZ) in patients with DLBCL. The purpose was to verify the expression levels of YWHAZ and PD-L1 and their relationships with the prognosis of DLBCL and to lay a foundation for further study on the role of YWHAZ and PD-L1 in DLBCL. Immunohistochemistry was used in 140 patients with DLBCL to test protein expression levels of YWHAZ and PD-L1. All patients were followed up in the hospital or by telephone or via WeChat. The positive expression rate of YWHAZ was 62.14% (87/140). The expression was negatively correlated with the positive expression of BAD (r = -0.177, P = 0.036) and positively correlated with the positive expression of BCL-2 (r = 0.180, P = 0.033). When the cut-off value for PD-L1 was established at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, the corresponding positive expression rates of PD-L1 were 79.66% (94/118), 51.69% (61/118), 40.68% (48/118), and 36.44% (43/118). YWHAZ significantly affected the OS of DLBCL (P ≤ 0.001). The prognosis of the patients was related to the positive expression of PD-L1 when the cut-off value of PD-L1 was 5% (P = 0.033). However, positive expression of PD-L1 was not associated with the prognosis when the cut-off values of PD-L1 were 10% (P = 0.404), 15% (P = 0.208), and 20% (P = 0.408). The positive expression of YWHAZ (hazard ratio 6.215; 95% confidence interval 3.214-12.017; P < 0.05) was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. YWHAZ may be an important oncogene in the occurrence and development of DLBCL and may be used as a therapeutic target. PD-L1 may be an oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in the occurrence and development of DLBCL. Different cut-off values of PD-L1 may affect the prognosis of DLBCL.

