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. 2023 Dec 1;102(48):e36445. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000036445

Global knowledge mapping and emerging trends in Helicobacter pylori-related precancerous lesions of gastric cancer research: A bibliometric analysis from 2013 to 2023

Meng Xiong a,b, Chang Yu a,b, Baoping Ren a,b, Meiqi Zhong a,b, Qinghua Peng a,b, Meiyan Zeng b, Houpan Song a,b,*
PMCID: PMC10695611  PMID: 38050286

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection is a crucial element in chronic gastritis progression towards precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) formation and, potentially, gastric cancer; however, screening for and eliminating H pylori has several challenges. This study aimed to assess the present research status, prominent themes, and frontiers of H pylori-related PLGC and to provide impartial evaluations of the developmental trends in this domain. This study extracted articles and review papers concerning H pylori-related PLGC published from 2013 to 2023 from the Web of Science Core Collection. The data was analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The study encompassed 1426 papers, with a discernible upward trend in publications between 2013 and 2023. China emerged as the most productive country, whereas the United States exerted the greatest influence. Baylor College of Medicine was the most prolific institution. World Journal of Gastroenterology featured the highest number of published papers, whereas Gastroenterology was the most frequently cited journal. Kim N. from South Korea was the most prolific author. Co-cited literature pertained to various aspects such as gastritis classification, H pylori infection management, gastric cancer prevention, and managing patients with PLGC. Future research will focus on the Kyoto classification, cancer incidence, and gastric intestinal metaplasia. The results of this study indicate a persistent increase in attention directed toward H pylori-associated PLGC. The research emphasis has transitioned from molecular mechanisms, epidemiology, monitoring, and diagnosis to clinical prevention and treatment methodologies. The forthcoming research direction in this area will concentrate on controlling and preventing malignant PLGC transformation.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis, data visualization, global trends, Helicobacter pylori, precancerous lesions of gastric cancer

1. Introduction

The incidence of gastric cancer (GC) is estimated to rise by approximately 1 million cases annually, thereby positioning it as the fifth most prevalent cancer worldwide.[1] Additionally, GC ranked fourth regarding mortality, with an estimated 769,000 fatalities attributed to GC annually.[1] Despite advancements in medical research, GC continues to exhibit a 5-year survival rate of < 30% in most regions globally.[2,3] GC etiology and progression typically stem from the synergistic interplay of various factors.[4] Notably, Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) has been designated as a Class I carcinogen for GC by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1994.[5] In addition to its role in inducing epithelial injury of the gastric mucosa,[6] H pylori infection is also recognized as an initiating factor in the progression from chronic gastritis to precancerous lesions of GC (PLGC) and ultimately, GC.[7] The cascade reaction is a prevalent pattern of GC, particularly for non-cardia GC.[8] This sequence includes H pylori infection, chronic non-atrophic gastritis (AG), chronic AG (CAG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), dysplasia, and GC. Furthermore, gastric ulcers, adenomas, and proliferative gastric polyps are also categorized as PLGC and are a risk factor for developing GC.[9,10] However, the evolutionary process from PLGC to GC is relatively long. Consequently, mitigating the occurrence and fatality of GC by monitoring patients with PLGC and implementing efficacious interventions is essential.

H pylori infection triggers the release of inflammatory mediators within the body, promoting inflammation and immune responses, impairing the function of the mucosal barrier, and resulting in ulcer development.[11] Furthermore, prolonged H pylori infection can lead to perforation or even cancer.[12] The recommended initial treatment approach for H pylori infection in China involves using clarithromycin-based quadruple therapy.[13] Additionally, triple and quadruple therapy regimens that include nitrzonide have been identified as promising strategies to eliminate H pylori.[14–16] Notwithstanding advancements in screening and eliminating H pylori from high-risk populations, several challenges remain, such as antibiotic resistance, regional discrepancies, inadequate dissemination of scientific knowledge, unsanitary surroundings, the need for substantial sample sizes, patient compliance, and the possibility of reinfection.[17] These constraints impede the clinical observation and management of H pylori-associated PLGC. Therefore, conducting comprehensive research on H pylori-related PLGC to augment understanding of the present research status and trends is crucial.

Bibliometrics is a well-established and distinct academic discipline that uses statistical and image-processing methodologies to analyze document characteristics to elucidate the present condition and future directions of a noteworthy research domain.[18] Bibliometrics is gaining considerable attention in life sciences fields such as gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, and other medical disciplines due to its pivotal role in evaluating the quality of relevant publications.[19,20] In this study, the software tools VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to perform statistical analysis and generate visual representations of the literature on H pylori-related PLGC over the past decade. These tools enabled the H pylori and GC research community to efficiently comprehend the current research frontiers and areas of interest, facilitating their research endeavors.

2. Methods

2.1. Data source and retrieval strategy

The data for this study were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. The following retrieval formulae were set: [TS = (Helicobacter pylori) or H pylori] and [TS = (precancerous lesion) or (gastric precancerous lesion) or (precancerous lesions of gastric cancer) or PLGC or (IM) or dysplasia or (AG) or (autoimmune gastritis) or (gastric adenoma) or (polypoid adenoma) or (hyperplastic polyp) or (fundic gland polyp) or (intraepithelial neoplasia) or (gastric ulcer)]. The publication language was English, and the type was limited to articles or reviews. The publication period was from January 1, 2013, to April 18, 2023.

2.2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Several standards were met when selecting relevant publications for this study. The theme was H pylori-related PLGC, including research on its pathogenesis, risk factors, disease evolution, clinical treatment, epidemiology, and preventive measures. The study involved H pylori-related PLGC cases and reported detailed results. The exclusion criteria were: The research was irrelevant to H pylori-related PLGC. A paper belonging to conference abstracts, news, retrieved publications, corrections, editorial materials, or letters. Repetitive papers.

2.3. Data screening and analysis

Literature screening was the responsibility of 2 researchers, and the process is shown in Figure 1. To export the data, we used the “full records and cited references” function of WoSCC, which was stored in plain text format and named “download_.txt.” All article data were imported into Microsoft Excel 2021 for data processing to prepare for visualization analysis. Information such as literature title, author, country/region, institution, source, keywords, references, publication time, and citation frequency were extracted. Ethical approval was unnecessary as the data collected included no personally identifiable patient information.

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

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Flow chart for selecting literature on H pylori-related PLGC from 2013 to 2023 in WoSCC database. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer, WoSCC = Web of Science Core Collection.

2.4. Visualization analysis

The number of publications analyzed reflected the academic output of a country, institution, journal, or author in the H pylori-related PLGC research field.[21] The number of citations analyzed could indirectly confirm the academic influence of publications or authors in this field.[22] The impact factor (IF) and journal citation report were crucial indicators for evaluating the scientific quality and academic status of a journal.[23]

The Bioinformatics online platform was used to map the cosmopolitan distribution of the final retrieved publications. Microsoft Excel 2021 was used to draw time distribution maps of the final retrieved publications and pie charts of various research topics on H pylori-related PLGC.

VOSviewer is a visual analysis software that can handle large datasets. VOSviewer can create and visualize co-occurrence networks based on a corpus of scientific literature as part of its text-mining functionality.[24] VOSviewer (1.6.18) was used for co-authorship, co-occurrence, and co-citations analysis of countries, institutions, authors, and keywords. The magnitude of the node denoted the number of publications, whereas the interconnections between nodes signified the association between research endeavors, and the total link strength (TLS) served as a quantitative expression. Nodes of identical hues were grouped within a clustering network, indicating a shared characteristic.

CiteSpace is a well-established visualization analysis tool that facilitates identifying research hotspots and exploring the frontiers within a discipline.[25] CiteSpace was used in this study to analyze and present the dual-map overlay of the journals, timeline views, and citation burst of keywords and co-cited references.

3. Results

3.1. General trends in annual publications

According to our literature screening criteria, 1426 papers written by 7564 authors at 5218 institutions from 254 countries/regions were obtained. The annual number of publications on H pylori-related PLGC showed a fluctuating growth trend (Fig. 2). The number of publications accelerated from 2017 and reached its highest point in 2022, with 187 papers.

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

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Global trends in the annual publication of H pylori-related PLGC from 2013 to 2023. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.2. Analysis of countries/regions

Figure 3A depicts the spatial distribution of publications across different countries/regions, with darker shades indicating higher publication rates. Additionally, Figure 3B presents an overview of the top 10 most prolific countries/regions. China had the highest number of publications (n = 381), followed by Japan with 258 and the United States with 247. Papers published in the United States received the highest number of citations, amounting to 6688 times, followed by papers in China with 5367 and papers in Japan with 5211. The TLS in the United States was the highest. Figure 3C depicts the collaborative network among countries/regions, wherein nodes with deeper hues signify papers published earlier for the respective country/region. Portugal, Poland, South Korea, and other nations were trailblazers in H pylori-related PLGC research.

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

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Distribution of H pylori-related PLGC publications in different countries/regions from 2013 to 2023. (A) Global distribution of publications. (B) Top 10 countries/regions with the highest productivity. (C) Overlay visualization of countries/regions according to the time course. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.3. Analysis of institutions

Figure 4A displays the top 10 institutions with the highest productivity. Baylor College of Medicine was the leading contributor with 56 publications, followed by Seoul National University with 41 publications and Oita University with 37 publications. Additionally, Baylor College of Medicine garnered the highest number of citations with 2268 citations, followed by Vanderbilt University with 1161 citations and Seoul National University with 1081 citations. Figure 4B illustrates the collaboration among institutions, comprising 151 items categorized into 12 distinct color clusters. Baylor College of Medicine emerged as the top contributor with 142 TLS. Furthermore, we performed an overlay visualization based on the temporal progression of the institutions (Fig. 4C). China Medical University had an earlier emphasis on H pylori-related PLGC.

Figure 4.

Figure 4.

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Distribution of H pylori-related PLGC publications in different institutions from 2013 to 2023. (A) Top 10 institutions with the highest productivity. (B) Network visualization map of the institutional collaboration. (C) Overlay visualization of institutions according to the time course. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.4. Analysis of journals

Over the last 10 years, 1426 publications on H pylori-related PLGC were disseminated across 462 academic journals. A total of 339 papers were published in the top 10 high-productivity journals, accounting for approximately 23.8% of all publications (Fig. 5A). World Journal of Gastroenterology (78 publications) published the most papers about H pylori-related PLGC research, whereas Helicobacter (71 publications) and PloS One (40 publications) ranked second and third, respectively. Figure 5B displays the top 10 co-cited journals, with Gastroenterology receiving the highest number of co-citations (n = 3434), followed by GUT (n = 3427) and Helicobacter (n = 2379). Additionally, Gastroenterology had the highest IF (33.88) in 2022. All highly productive and co-cited journals mostly specialized in gastroenterology. Figure 5C demonstrates the dual-map overlay of journals, illustrating the correlation between scientific combinations and global scientific literature. The cluster on the left represents cited journals, whereas the cluster on the right represents cited locations. The labels within the clusters indicate the topics covered by the journals, and the curved paths between the labels signify the reference relationships between research fields. We classified citation paths into 4 primary categories. According to the orange line, most included papers were in the molecular/biology/immunology field, whereas the cited papers were mostly in the molecular/biology/genetics field. The green pathway denotes that most medical and clinical publications are primarily influenced by molecular biology and genetics, health, nursing, and medicine.

Figure 5.

Figure 5.

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Distribution of H pylori-related PLGC publications in different journals from 2013 to 2023. (A) Top 10 productive journals. (B) Top 10 journals with the most citations. (C) Dual-map overlay of journals. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.5. Analysis of authors

Kim N. from South Korea has made the greatest contribution to H pylori-related PLGC, having authored 27 papers (Fig. 6A). Following closely are Malfertheiner P. from Germany with 25 papers and Yuan Y. from China with 24 papers. Among the top 10 prolific authors, Kim N. has the highest TLS (n = 89), whereas Malfertheiner P. has the highest number of citations (1479 times). The collaboration of authors was substantial, particularly among those within the same cluster, such as Annibale B. and Lahner E. (Fig. 6B). Furthermore, the collaboration network analysis of co-cited authors revealed a relatively close association among studies related to H pylori-related PLGC (Fig. 6C).

Figure 6.

Figure 6.

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Distribution of H pylori-related PLGC publications of different authors from 2013 to 2023. (A) Top 10 productive authors. (B) Collaboration network analysis of authors. (C) Collaboration network analysis of co-cited authors. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.6. Analysis of co-cited references

Co-cited literature is a metric for assessing the impact of scholarly publications and antecedent research endeavors. The top 10 highly co-cited references are summarized in Table 1. Within the corpus of literature on H pylori-related PLGC, the work authored by Dixon M.F., published in the American Journal of Surgical Pathology in 1996, garnered the greatest number of co-citations. This was followed by the publication by Uemura N., published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2001, and the work by Correa P., published in Cancer Research in 1992. The top 10 clusters of the timeline view for co-cited references on H pylori-related PLGC were gastritis staging, autoimmune gastritis, eradication therapy, chemoprevention, pepsinogens, cag pathogenicity island, gastric microbiota, gastric IM, Kyoto classification, and Latvia (Fig. 7A). Figure 7B illustrates the identification of the top 25 references on H pylori-related PLGC based on the strongest citation bursts. The publication of Malfertheiner P. in GUT in 2012[26] exhibited the highest strength (28.98). Citation bursts continue for various articles, such as for Choi I.J.[27] and Rugge M.[28]

Table 1.

Top 10 co-cited references for Helicobacter pylori-related precancerous lesions of gastric cancer research from 2013 to 2023.

Rank PMID number Yr Journal Author Co-citations
1 PMID: 8827022 1996 American Journal of Surgical Pathology Dixon MF 438
2 PMID: 11556297 2001 New England Journal of Medicine Uemura N 300
3 PMID: 1458460 1992 Cancer Research Correa P 236
4 PMID: 18395075 2008 Gastroenterology De Vries AC 157
5 PMID: 14722144 2004 JAMA—Journal of the American Medical Association Wong BC 149
6 PMID: 22198778 2012 Endoscopy Dinis-Ribeiro M 140
7 PMID: 20381801 2010 Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Capelle LG 132
8 PMID: 18675689 2008 Lancet Fukase K 129
9 PMID: 26187502 2015 GUT Sugano K 125
10 PMID: 22491499 2012 GUT Malfertheiner P 122
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Figure 7.

Figure 7.

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The co-cited references map on H pylori-related PLGC from 2013 to 2023. (A) Timeline view for co-cited references. (B) Top 25 co-cited references with the strongest citation bursts. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

3.7. Keyword analysis

Keywords serve as a succinct depiction of the content of a paper, and a visual examination of these keywords can aid researchers in pinpointing areas of research prominence within H pylori-associated PLGC research. After merging synonymous keywords, we created a co-occurrence keyword network graph based on 228 keywords with > 10 co-occurred times. Figure 8A displays the 6 keyword clusters generated, signifying the 6 principal research avenues in the H pylori-associated PLGC spanning from 2013 to 2023. The red cluster centered on how H pylori contributes to GC development. The green cluster was concerned with diagnosing and examining H pylori and PLGC. The dark blue cluster addressed disease risks. The yellow cluster focused on H pylori eradication and treatment. The purple cluster was related to the epidemiological investigation of gastritis. Finally, the light blue cluster dealt with the classification and risk assessment of gastritis.

Figure 8.

Figure 8.

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The keywords map on H pylori-related PLGC from 2013 to 2023. (A) Clustering map of keywords. (B) Density map of keywords. (C) Timeline view for keywords. (D) Top 20 keywords with the strongest citation bursts. H pylori = Helicobacter pylori, PLGC = precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

Using keyword density maps can facilitate the prompt identification of prevalent topics within H pylori-associated PLGC. The red hue denotes keywords with high frequency, including H pylori, chronic AG, GC, IM, and infection, which are the most frequently discussed subjects (Fig. 8B). Moreover, the dynamic evolution map of keywords indicates that Cag A, gastric fundus gland polyps, pepsinogen II, GC, and gastric ulcers have been prominent research areas in H pylori-related PLGC over the last decade (Fig. 8C). Figure 8D illustrates the top 20 keywords exhibiting the most considerable bursts in H pylori-related PLGC research during the past decade. Kyoto classification, cancer incidence, metaplasia, and gastric IM have been frequently discussed recently, indicating their potential as future research hotspots.

4. Discussion

4.1. General information

The bibliometric analysis conducted on the H pylori-related PLGC literature in the WOSCC database from 2013 to 2023 yielded noteworthy findings. The statistical results indicated that this field is active and productive. The H pylori-related PLGC literature exhibited a consistent growth trend globally, with a substantial increase in growth rate since 2017. The increase in research activity in the field of H pylori-related PLGC can be attributed to the issuance of a series of consensus by international authoritative institutions from 2016 to 2017.[29–31] These consensus aimed to standardize H pylori infection diagnosis and treatment and improve the effectiveness of H pylori eradication treatment. The evidence-based guidance provided in these consensus documents on monitoring and treating high-risk populations with H pylori-related PLGC has greatly stimulated the research enthusiasm of scholars. The decrease in publications during 2020 could potentially be ascribed to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a heightened emphasis on research on the coronavirus disease. Our findings suggest that the concentration on this study area remains consistent and is poised for further expansion despite certain fluctuations in worldwide publications throughout the past decade.

China was the foremost contributor among the 254 countries/regions that have made considerable progress in H pylori-associated PLGC research. The high prevalence of H pylori infection and PLGC etiology in China underscores the critical clinical and public health importance of controlling H pylori-related PLGC and preventing GC. The incidence of H pylori infection in China was approximately 40.66% in 2019.[32] Additionally, GC has emerged as the second most prevalent cancer in China regarding incidence and mortality rates.[33] The United States exhibited the highest citation count and TLS, with 2 of the top 5 institutions hailing from this country, signifying a substantial academic impact in H pylori-related PLGC research. This outcome may be attributed to the advanced medical research technology, rational scientific research management model, prioritization of scientific research talents, and substantial financial support of this country. Research on H pylori-related PLGC began in developed countries, indicating that they have relatively mature research results. Additional corroboration of this perspective was furnished by the findings of institutional research, indicating that with the exception of an institution from China, all of the top 10 establishments in terms of publications are situated in developed nations. The Baylor College of Medicine in the United States has made a substantial contribution to the research frontier of H pylori-related PLGC. This finding is evidenced by its high citation count and TLS, demonstrating extensive influence and a crucial role in facilitating global academic cooperation networks. However, cooperation from other institutions across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America was comparatively limited. Enhancing international collaboration and academic exchanges that are initiated organically by diverse research institutions are needed to advance research on H pylori-associated PLGC.

The World Journal of Gastroenterology and Helicobacter have made considerable contributions to the field of H pylori-associated PLGC, with the World Journal of Gastroenterology being a professional journal in the university discipline of gastroenterology and Helicobacter dedicated to studying H pylori. Gastroenterology was the most frequently cited journal and had the highest IF, followed by GUT, indicating their global academic recognition and influence.

Kim N. was the most prolific author. Kim N. and his team focused on exploring the relationship between H pylori eradication and PLGC.[34,35] According to his most cited article, AG and IM posed the greatest risk of GC; however, whether H pylori eradication could reverse AG and IM is unclear.[36] Malfertheiner P. has the most citations and the second most cited single article. His team has contributed substantially to H pylori-related PLGC by issuing several crucial clinical guidelines. In their most frequently cited article, they advocate for eradicating H pylori as a preventive measure for precancerous lesions and recommend follow-up for patients with PLGC.[37]

4.2. The hotspots and frontiers of H pylori-related PLGC research

The primary focus of the top 10 co-cited literature pertained to classifying gastritis, managing H pylori infection, preventing GC, and managing patients with PLGC. The paper authored by Dixon M.F. was the most co-cited publication.[38] This guideline emphasized the location and quantity of gastric mucosal biopsies, graded inflammation severity, activity, atrophy, metaplasia, and H pylori infection, and provided intuitive simulation scores that facilitate clinical condition evaluation and minimize observation discrepancies. The second most co-cited paper pertained to a study conducted by Uemura N.[39] The research focused on the long-term follow-up of patients with H pylori infection, revealing a correlation between infection and the development of intestinal- and diffuse-type GC. The study further identified that individuals with severe AG, corpus-predominant gastritis, or both, and those with IM are at a higher risk of developing GC. The third most co-cited paper, published by Correa P., provided an overview of the pathological process and risk factors associated with GC development and occurrence.[4] These high-frequency co-cited literatures indicate that preventing and treating H pylori and PLGC have always been of interest to researchers in the field of gastrointestinal oncology.

The timeline view shows the evolution of hot topics in H pylori-related PLGC. Researchers have shown greater interest in gastric microbiota and IM. A longitudinal study on a population with low H pylori prevalence revealed that the negative group exhibited a higher abundance of gastric microbiota than the positive group, whereas normal individuals had a higher abundance of gastric microbiota than those with AG.[40] This perspective was reinforced by another case-control investigation demonstrating that H pylori decreases gastric microbiota and non-H pylori bacteria diversity in patients with PLGC.[41] Probiotic therapy can enhance the diversity of gastrointestinal microbiota and lower the occurrence of PLGC.[42] Symptoms of persistent IM were ameliorated by celecoxib intervention treatment in a patient where H pylori was eradicated.[43] In the timeline view of keywords, Cag A, pepsinogen II, GC, and gastric ulcer have been the hotspots of H pylori-related PLGC. The association between virulent H pylori strains and gastric ulcers and cancer is attributed to their ability to induce immune cell infiltration in the gastric mucosa, leading to observable inflammatory responses.,[44] cagA gene-positive H pylori is more prevalent in patients with advanced PLGC, and infection with cagA-positive strains correlates with disease progression.[45] Active gastritis with high pepsinogen II level and H pylori infection are associated with an increased risk of GC in non-CAG patients with H pylori infection.[46]

Using burst analysis can facilitate identifying forthcoming research trends within the H pylori-related PLGC field. The outcomes of the present study have demonstrated a shift in research emphasis from molecular mechanisms, epidemiology, monitoring, and diagnosis to clinical prevention and treatment practices. In a placebo-controlled trial involving 470 patients who underwent endoscopic resection, patients who received H pylori eradication treatment exhibited a reduced incidence of metachronous GC compared to the placebo group, and their degree of gastric gland atrophy improved compared to the baseline.[27] OLGA staging is a dependable tool to predict the likelihood of gastric epithelial neoplasia; however, H pylori eradication does not eliminate the risk of advanced disease.[28] In H pylori-related PLGC research, recent commonly cited topics encompass cancer incidence, the Kyoto classification, H pylori infection, and gastric IM. The global incidence rate of GC has declined in numerous regions, attributable to improvements in the overall health environment and reducing the prevalence of H pylori infection.[47,48] However, the risk of developing GC among young individuals in certain regions is increasing,[49] underscoring the continued significance of GC prevention as a crucial global public health concern.[50] The Kyoto classification system has categorized H pylori infection into 3 distinct states, namely uninfected, currently infected, and previously infected, based on 19 characteristic endoscopic observations.[37] An AI-based diagnostic system was developed to facilitate the diagnosis of gastric atrophy and promote GC screening.[51] Integrating AI and modified Kyoto classification may be a valuable tool for predicting GC. Additionally, population analysis based on the Kyoto classification revealed a significant correlation between the COX-2 1195 G-carrier genotype and IM in H pylori-infected individuals.[52] The future research trajectory in the domain of H pylori-related PLGC is anticipated to center on the management and prophylaxis of the malignant transformation of PLGC.

5. Strengths and limitations

This study represents the initial bibliometric analysis to evaluate the research landscape, emerging trends, and potential focus areas within H pylori-related PLGC research using publications from 2013 to 2023. Our research provides a comprehensive bibliometric assessment of H pylori-related PLGC over the past decade, illustrating the evolving research priorities and patterns within this area. However, the outcome of the study has been influenced by various factors. First, solely relying on 1 database source may lead to omitting pertinent research from alternative databases. Second, restricting the language to English may disregard valuable research conducted in other languages. Third, the time frame for the publication search was confined to between January 1, 2013, and April 18, 2023, excluding any literature published after April 18, 2023. Consequently, analyzing available literature in 2023 may be incomplete. These factors may result in publication bias in this study.

6. Conclusion

The findings of our study suggest that the quantity of literature on H pylori-related PLGC has exhibited a variable but upward trajectory over the last decade. China and the United States have made the most significant contributions and exerted the most substantial influence, respectively. Scholars in this domain have redirected their attention from molecular mechanisms and epidemiology to preventing and treating diseases, specifically in managing patients with H pylori infection and PLGC and averting their malignant transformation. Researchers meticulously scrutinized subjects such as gastric microbiota, gastrointestinal metaplasia, cancer incidence rate, and Kyoto classification. The bibliometric analysis of H pylori-related PLGC offers valuable insights into current research hotspots and development trends for experts and scholars in the medical field and identifies potential research areas for their subsequent investigations. Additionally, this study aids clinicians in comprehending the advancements in prominent subjects within this field, thereby facilitating their active involvement in the clinical prevention and treatment of H pylori-related PLGC.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: Qinghua Peng, Meiyan Zeng, Houpan Song.

Data curation: Baoping Ren, Meiqi Zhong.

Formal analysis: Baoping Ren, Meiqi Zhong.

Software: Meng Xiong, Chang Yu.

Writing – original draft: Meng Xiong.

Writing – review & editing: Qinghua Peng, Meiyan Zeng, Houpan Song.

Abbreviations:

AG
atrophic gastritis
CAG
chronic atrophic gastritis
GC
gastric cancer
IF
impact factor
IM
intestinal metaplasia
PLGC
precancerous lesions of gastric cancer
TLS
total link strength
WoSCC
Web of Science Core Collection

This study received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82004427, 82374429), Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province (No. 2021RC3101), Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (No. 2023JJ30460, 2023JJ40474), Open-competing Disciple Construction Project of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine (No. 22JBZ027), Guidance Project of Academician Liu Liang Expert Workstation (No. 22YS003), and Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (No. 2023JJ30460, 2023JJ40474).

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

How to cite this article: Xiong M, Yu C, Ren B, Zhong M, Peng Q, Zeng M, Song H. Global knowledge mapping and emerging trends in Helicobacter pylori-related precancerous lesions of gastric cancer research: A bibliometric analysis from 2013 to 2023. Medicine 2023;102:48(e36445).

Contributor Information

Meng Xiong, Email: xiongmeng@stu.hnucm.edu.cn.

Chang Yu, Email: yuc@stu.hnucm.edu.cn.

Baoping Ren, Email: rbp@stu.hnucm.edu.cn.

Meiqi Zhong, Email: zhongmq@stu.hnucm.edu.cn.

Qinghua Peng, Email: 003450@hnucm.edu.cn.

Meiyan Zeng, Email: 004324@hnucm.edu.cn.

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