Non-coding RNA and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Li-Rong Yan; Ao-Ran Liu; Li-Yue Jiang; Ben-Gang Wang

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.995943

Non-coding RNA and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 20:9:995943. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.995943. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Li-Rong Yan¹, Ao-Ran Liu¹, Li-Yue Jiang², Ben-Gang Wang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Education Department, Shenyang, China.
² Tangdu Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
³ Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Institute of General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Abstract

Objectives: A bibliometric analysis for non-coding RNA and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was performed to describe international research status and visualize the research scope and emerging trends over the last two decades on this topic.

Materials and methods: Research data of non-coding RNA and HBV-related HCC were retrieved and extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 1 January 2003 to 13 June 2022 and then analyzed by means of bibliometric methods. A total of 1,036 articles published in this field were assessed for specific characteristics, including the year of publication, journal, author, institution, country/region, references, and keywords. VOSviewer was employed to perform co-authorship, co-occurrence, and co-citation analyses accompanied by constructing a visual network.

Results: Overall, 1,036 reports on non-coding RNA and HBV-related HCC from 2003 to 2022 were retrieved from WoSCC. The publication has gradually increased during the last two decades with 324 journals involved. Most research records (748 publications and 23,184 citations) were concentrated in China. A co-occurrence cluster analysis for the top 100 keywords was performed and four clusters were generated: (1) non-coding RNA as a molecular marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HBV-related HCC; (2) dysregulation of non-coding RNA by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx); (3) non-coding RNA affecting the biological behaviors of HBV-related HCC; and (4) epidemiological study for the effects of non-coding RNA on the risk of HBV-related HCC.

Conclusion: The publications and citations involved in non-coding RNA and HBV-related HCC have increased over the last two decades associated with many countries, institutions, and authors. Our study revealed current development trends, global cooperation models, basic knowledge, research hotspots, and emerging frontiers in this field.

Keywords: HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma; bibliometric analysis; long noncoding RNA (LncRNA); microRNA (miRNA); non-coding RNA.