Global Research Trends on the Link Between the Microbiome and COPD: A Bibliometric Analysis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Microbiology
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis is increasingly studied in relation to the microbiome.
• While numerous papers on the COPD microbiome exist, bibliometric analyses are scarce.
• This study provides a bibliometric evaluation of COPD microbiome research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) microbiome.
• To identify key trends, influential institutions, authors, and journals in the field.
• To highlight emerging research areas and future directions for COPD microbiome research.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 505 publications from January 2011 to August 2022.
• Data sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection.
• Visual analysis performed using CiteSpace.

Main Results:

• Global publications on the COPD microbiome are increasing annually.
• China and the USA are leading in international publications, with Imperial College London and the University of Leicester as top institutions.
• Key research areas include exacerbation, gut microbiota, lung microbiome, airway microbiome, bacterial colonization, and inflammation.

Conclusions:

• The gut-lung axis presents a promising avenue for exploring COPD's immunoinflammatory mechanisms.
• Microbiome analysis can aid in predicting treatment efficacy for COPD.
• Future research should focus on optimizing beneficial and minimizing harmful bacteria to improve COPD management.