Identification of B cell marker genes based on single-cell sequencing to establish a prognostic model and identify immune infiltration in osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND: Tumor-infiltrating B cells play a crucial role in the promotion or inhibition of tumor development. However, the role of B cells in osteosarcoma remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of B cells on the prognosis and immunity infiltration of osteosarcoma. METHODS: Marker genes of B cells were identified based on the single-cell sequencing results of osteosarcoma in the GEO database. The prognostic model was established by the TCGA database and verified by the GEO data. The divergence in immune infiltration between the low-risk and high-risk groups was then compared according to the established prognostic model. Finally, the differential genes in the low-risk and high-risk groups were enriched and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 261 B cell marker genes was obtained by single-cell sequencing and a prognostic model of 4 B cell marker genes was established based on TCGA data. The model was found to have a good prediction performance in the TCGA and GEO data. A remarkable difference in immune infiltration between the low-risk and high-risk groups was also observed. The obtained results were verified by enrichment analysis. CONCLUSION: In summary, a prognostic model with good predictive performance was established that revealed the indispensable role of B cells in the development of osteosarcoma. This model also provides a predictive index and a novel therapeutic target for immunotherapy for clinical patients.