Association of B cells and the risk of glioblastoma: a bidirectional two sample mendelian randomization study

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) represents an exceptionally aggressive form of primary malignant brain neoplasm, distinguished by its rapid growth kinetics, unfavorable prognostic indicators, and associated high mortality rates. To date, the exploration of B-cell involvement in GBM remains relatively underexplored. Methods The two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was used to assess the causal relationship between the 190 B cell phenotypes and GBM. Bayesian Weighted Mendelian Randomization (BWMR) was also employed to complement MR analysis, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Result Our results demonstrate a causal association between two B-cell phenotypes and the risk of GBM. Specifically, IgD + CD24 + B cell %B cell is significantly associated with a reduced risk of GBM (IVW OR = 0.676, 95% CI = 0.507–0.901, P _ivw = 0.008); and CD38 on Plasma Blast-Plasma Cell is also significantly associated with a lower risk of GBM (IVW OR = 0.789, 95% CI = 0.626–0.995, P _ivw = 0.045). Conclusion Our study suggests a potential connection between B cell phenotypes and GBM through bidirectional two-sample MR combined with BWMR analysis, providing a preliminary basis for future research.