Frontiers | Associations of Serum Lipid Traits With DLBCL: A Prospective Cohort Study From the UK Biobank

Provisionally acceptedSecond Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, ChinaBackground: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), accounting for approximately 30% of all NHL cases. While serum lipids have been associated with various cancers, their relationship with the risk of DLBCL remains largely unexplored. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 339,172 participants from the UK Biobank. Baseline serum levels of apolipoproteins A and B (ApoA/B), high-and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL/LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) were measured. The associations between lipid profiles and DLBCL risk were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Subgroup analyses and temporal lipid trajectories were also performed. Results: Over a median follow-up of 13.8 years, 1,207 participants developed DLBCL. Lower levels of ApoA, HDL, and TC were significantly associated with increased DLBCL risk. RCS analysis revealed nonlinear associations for ApoA and HDL, and a linear association for TC (P for nonlinearity: 0.048, 0.017, and 0.139, respectively). Subgroup analysis indicated a significant interaction with age. Temporal trajectory analysis showed a gradual decline in ApoA and HDL levels during the 10 years prior to diagnosis, with a steeper drop in the last 5 years. Conclusion: Reduced levels of ApoA, HDL, and TC are linked to a higher risk of DLBCL. Notably, lipidKeywords: Apolipoproteins A, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, high-density lipoprotein, Serum lipids, UK BiobankReceived: 17 Sep 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026. Copyright: © 2026 Luo, Hu, Cai, Wang and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. * Correspondence: Li Yu Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. Read More