Iron Metabolism-Related Gene Signatures for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients With Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Abstract Background Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common and highly aggressive type of lymphoma. Iron metabolism plays a critical role in various diseases, however, which remains completely unclear in patients with DLBCL. The aim is to explore the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying iron metabolism in patients with DLBCL. Methods Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the GeneCards database, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA)was performed on the DLBCL sample (GSE83632) and Iron metabolism-related datasets to establish the gene co-expression network. Enrichment analysis was used to screen the key gene and analyze its expression and possible mechanism of action in patients with DLBCL. Results GATA1 was a key gene of iron metabolism in patients with DLBCL. It was related to the myeloid cell differentiation and granulocyte differentiation pathways to affect CD4 + T cells, B cells, and monocytes. GATA1 was also strongly positively correlated with sensitivity to multiple targeted drugs, like imatinib, nilotinib, and crizotinib, but negatively correlated with the PI3K inhibitor, and CDK9 inhibitor. The group with high GATA1 expression had higher overall survival and better prognosis than the group with low expression. Conclusions GATA1 is the first time to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between iron metabolism and DLBCL, suggesting that GATA1 is a significant biological target and immune-related biomarker of DLBCL.