Cross-talk between Helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer: a scientometric analysis

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Jan 31:14:1353094. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1353094. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori (HP) is considered a leading risk factor for gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this article is to conduct bibliometric and visual analysis to assess scientific output, identify highly cited papers, summarize current knowledge, and explore recent hotspots and trends in HP/GC research.

Methods: A bibliographic search was conducted on October 24, 2023, to retrieve relevant studies on HP/GC research between 2003 and 2022. The search terms were attached to HP and GC. The main data were from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Data visualization was performed using Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel.

Results: In HP/GC research, 1970 papers were retrieved. The total number of papers (Np) in HP/GC was growing from 2003 to 2022. China and Japan were in the leading position and made the most contributions to HP/GC. Vanderbilt University and the US Department of Veterans Affairs had the highest Np. The most productive authors were Peek Jr Richard M. and Piazuelo M Blanca. Helicobacter received the most Np, while Gastroenterology had the most total citations (TC). High-cited publications and keyword clustering were used to identify the current status and trends in HP/GC research, while historical citation analysis provided insight into the evolution of HP/GC research. The hot topics included the effect of HP on gastric tumorigenesis and progression, the pathogenesis of HP-induced GC (HP factors), and the mechanisms by which HP affects GC (host factors). Research in the coming years could focus on topics such as autophagy, gut microbiota, immunotherapy, exosomes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT).

Conclusion: This study evaluated the global scientific output in HP/GC research and its quantitative characteristics, identified the essential works, and collected information on the current status, main focuses and emerging trends in HP/GC research to provide academics with guidance for future paths.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; bibliometrics; gastric cancer; high-cited papers; hotspots and trends.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy
  • Cell Physiological Phenomena
  • Helicobacter pylori*
  • Humans
  • Stomach Neoplasms*

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81803910 and No. 81973615), Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research (No. 2022-2-4077 and No. 2022-2-40711), and the Qi-Huang Scholar Chief Scientist Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Leading Talents Support Program (2021).