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Case Reports
. 2022 Jan;50(1):3000605211067749.
doi: 10.1177/03000605211067749.

Type B lactic acidosis associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the Warburg effect

Chunhua Wang  1 , Zanmei Lv  1 , Yanwei Zhang  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Type B lactic acidosis associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the Warburg effect

Chunhua Wang et al. J Int Med Res. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Type B lactic acidosis is a rare complication of non-tissue perfusion abnormalities caused by solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. Herein, we present the case of a 42-year-old man with type B lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia who was found to have a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The cause of lactic acidosis and/or hypoglycemia is thought to be the Warburg effect, which is when the metabolic rate of a rapidly growing malignant tumor is very high and dominated by glycolysis. Systemic damage from type B lactic acidosis can occur when the increased rate of glycolysis exceeds the normal muscle and liver lactic acid clearance rate. The Warburg effect is a rare but serious condition that needs to be recognized, not only in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but also in other malignancies. The prognosis of lactic acidosis in patients with malignant tumors is very poor. Currently, effective chemotherapy seems to be the only hope for survival.

Keywords: Type B lactic acidosis; Warburg effect; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; glycolysis; hypoglycemia; tumor metabolism.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Computed tomography scan showing enlarged hilar and retroperitoneal lymph nodes.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry for Pax5, Ki67, and CD20 suggested diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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