Unraveling the role of bisphenol A in osteosarcoma biology: insights into prognosis and immune microenvironment modulation

Abstract

Abstract Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common environmental pollutant, and its specific mechanisms in cancer development and its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment are not yet fully understood. Methods Transcriptome data from osteosarcoma (OS) patients were downloaded from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) database. BPA-related genes were identified through the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), yielding 177 genes. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed using the GSE162454 dataset from the Tumor Immune Single Cell Hub 2 (TISCH2). We constructed the prognostic model using univariate Cox regression and LASSO analysis. The model was validated using the GSE16091 dataset. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses were performed to investigate the mechanisms of BPA-related genes. Results A total of 15 BPA-related genes were identified as differentially expressed in OS. Univariate Cox regression and LASSO analysis identified four key prognostic genes (FOLR1, MYC, ESRRA, VEGFA). The prognostic model exhibited strong predictive performance with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.89, 0.6, and 0.79 for predicting 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival, respectively. External validation using the GSE16091 dataset confirmed the model's high accuracy with AUC values exceeding 0.88. Our results indicated that the prognosis of the high-risk population is generally poorer, which may be associated with alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment. In the high-risk group, immune cells showed predominantly low expression levels, while immune checkpoint genes were significantly overexpressed, along with markedly elevated tumor purity. These findings revealed a correlation between upregulation of BPA-related genes and formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment, leading to unfavorable patient outcomes. Conclusion Our study highlighted the significant association of BPA with OS biology, particularly in its potential role in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. We offered a fresh insight into the influence of BPA on cancer development, thus providing valuable insights for future clinical interventions and treatment strategies.

Keywords

• Bisphenol A
• Osteosarcoma
• Prognosis
• Immune microenvironment
• Single-cell sequencing