Gut microbiota and eye diseases: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Microbiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Gut microbial dysbiosis is a growing research focus for various ocular disorders, including uveitis, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), dry eye, keratitis, and orbitopathy.
• Targeting the gut microbiota is emerging as a significant therapeutic strategy for these eye conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the research landscape and identify emerging trends and future directions in the study of gut microbiota and ocular diseases using bibliometric analysis.
• To visualize the global research output, key contributors, and influential publications in this field.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 284 publications from 2009-2023 sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection.
• Visualization tools including CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze country distribution, journal overlays, keyword co-occurrences, and author/journal co-citation networks.

Main Results:

• Research output has grown steadily since 2016, with the United States leading in publications.
• Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science is the most prominent journal. Keywords indicate a strong link between gut microbiota, inflammation, and eye diseases such as uveitis, DR, AMD, dry eye, and Graves' orbitopathy.
• Therapeutic strategies like probiotics, dietary interventions, and fecal microbial transplantation are highlighted as critical for future research.

Conclusions:

• Bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the research hotspots and evolution of gut microbiota's role in ocular disease pathogenesis and treatment.
• The findings highlight the dynamic nature of this field and its structural relationships, emphasizing the potential of microbiome-targeted therapies.