Dysregulation of fatty acid synthesis and glycolysis in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The metabolic differences between B-NHL and primary human B cells are poorly understood. Among human B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a unique subset that is linked to infection with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We report that the metabolic profiles of primary B cells are significantly different from that of PEL. Compared with primary B cells, both aerobic glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis (FAS) are up-regulated in PEL and other types of nonviral B-NHL. We found that aerobic glycolysis and FAS occur in a PI3K-dependent manner and appear to be interdependent. PEL overexpress the fatty acid synthesizing enzyme, FASN, and both PEL and other B-NHL were much more sensitive to the FAS inhibitor, C75, than primary B cells. Our findings suggest that FASN may be a unique candidate for molecular targeted therapy against PEL and other B-NHL.