Secondly, normalized mRNA counts of lymphoma-related genes were compared between DLBCL patients, PMBCL patients, and controls in both the tissue and blood plasma samples, including markers of B-cell differentiation (CD19, CD20, PAX5, IRF4, BCL6), T-cell differentiation (CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8), thymic B-cell differentiation (CD23, MAL), NF-κB (REL, TRAF1), cell proliferation (MKI67), activation (CD30), and apoptosis (BCL2). Here, MAL is linked to lymphoma.