Emerging Topics and Trends in Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in ARDS: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical illness with significant impacts on human respiratory health. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), secreted by neutrophils, play dual roles in immune defense and tissue inflammation. Recent studies have highlighted the association between NETs and ARDS, yet no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has been conducted in this field. This study aims to analyze the research progress and evolving hot spots related to NETs in ARDS through bibliometric methods.

Articles published between 2011 and 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), PubMed, and Embase. Data analysis was performed using visualization tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft Office Excel 2021.

A total of 328 articles were analyzed. The annual publication trend in this field has shown a steady increase, with China and the United States leading in research output. Frontiers in Immunology stands out for its high publication volume and citation count, indicating strong reference value. The most prolific author is Zhang, Hao from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, while Egeblad, Mikala from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory holds the highest citation count. Inflammatory response is a research focus in this field, and the association between NETs and thrombus formation represents an emerging research hotspot within the domain. Research and development of NETs-targeted therapies for acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS is an important direction for future research.

This bibliometric analysis comprehensively summarizes research progress and hotspot evolution in NETs-related ARDS studies, providing valuable insights for researchers and inspiring future research directions.