Research status and hotspots of autoimmune gastritis: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Background: As an emerging potential risk factor for gastric cancer, autoimmune gastritis (AIG) has garnered increasing attention from researchers.

Aim: To analyze the research overview and popular topics in the field of AIG using bibliometrics.

Methods: Relevant publications on AIG in the Web of Science Core Collection were collated, and data visualization and analysis of the number of publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, and citations were performed using software such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphic.

Results: In total, 316 relevant articles were included in the analysis. From 2015 to 2022, the number of publications increased annually. The countries, institutions, authors, and journals with the highest number of publications in this field were Italy, Monash University, Toh BH, and Internal Medicine. The main keywords used in this field of research were pathogenesis, Helicobacter pylori, autoantibody, parietal cell antibody, atrophic gastritis, classification, diagnosis, autoimmune disease, risk, cancer, gastric cancer, vitamin B12 deficiency, and pernicious anemia. The following directions may be popular for future research: (1) The role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of AIG; (2) diagnostic criteria for AIG and reference values for serum antibodies; (3) comorbidity mechanisms between AIG and other autoimmune diseases; (4) specific risks of AIG complicating gastric and other cancers; and (5) the role of vitamin B12 supplementation in patients with early-stage AIG.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis reported on popular topics and emerging trends in AIG, with diagnosis and prognosis being research hotspots in this field.

Keywords: Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmune gastritis; Bibliometric; CiteSpace; Helicobacter pylori; VOSviewer.