Immunothrombosis: A bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2023

Immunothrombosis is a physiological process that constitutes an intravascular innate immune response. Abnormal immunothrombosis can lead to thrombotic disorders. With the outbreak of COVID-19, there is increasing attention to the mechanisms of immunothrombosis and its critical role in thrombotic events, and a growing number of relevant research papers are emerging. This article employs bibliometrics to discuss the current status, hotspots, and trends in research of this field.

Research papers relevant to immunothrombosis published from January 1, 2003, to May 29, 2023, were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer and the R package "Bibliometrix" were employed to analyze publication metrics, including the number of publications, authors, countries, institutions, journals, and keywords. The analysis generated visual results, and trends in research topics and hotspots were examined.

A total of 495 target papers were identified, originating from 58 countries and involving 3287 authors from 1011 research institutions. Eighty high-frequency keywords were classified into 5 clusters. The current key research topics in the field of immunothrombosis include platelets, inflammation, neutrophil extracellular traps, Von Willebrand factor, and the complement system. Research hotspots focus on the mechanisms and manifestations of immunothrombosis in COVID-19, as well as the discovery of novel treatment strategies targeting immunothrombosis in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Bibliometric analysis summarizes the main achievements and development trends in research on immunothrombosis, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the field and guiding future research directions.