Global trends and emerging research hotspots in Alport syndrome: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis (1961-2024)

Alport syndrome is a hereditary kidney disorder with multisystem involvement. This study aims to explore global research trends, collaboration networks, and emerging hotspots in the field of Alport syndrome using a bibliometric approach.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on January 15, 2025, covering publications from 1961 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix".

A total of 1,637 articles on Alport syndrome were identified, showing a steady annual growth rate of 1.09% across six decades. The United States was the leading contributor with 420 articles, followed by China (170 articles) and Japan (162 articles). University of Minnesota ranked first in publication output (72 publications) and collaboration strength, whereas University of Helsinki and Karolinska Institute showed high average citation impact. Tryggvason K was identified as the most influential author, with 5,750 citations and the highest h-index (30). The keyword analysis revealed three major thematic clusters: genetic and molecular mechanisms, clinical features and genotype-phenotype correlations, as well as animal models and pathophysiology. Recent citation bursts highlighted emerging topics such as "digenic inheritance" (2018-2024) and "guidelines" (2019-2022), reflecting the shift toward precision medicine and standardized clinical management in the field.

This bibliometric analysis highlights the rapid growth and promising potential of Alport syndrome research. The findings demonstrate sustained growth in research output and increasing attention to genotype-informed research, guideline-related topics, and clinical management. These results may help identify collaboration opportunities and directions for future studies.