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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Systems Immunology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1534660

Research trends of inflammation in autism spectrum disorders: a bibliometric analysis

Provisionally accepted
Yajing Chen Yajing Chen Xiaohuan Du Xiaohuan Du Xianming Zhang Xianming Zhang Fang Li Fang Li Shuwei Yuan Shuwei Yuan Wenjing Wang Wenjing Wang Zengyan Zhu Zengyan Zhu Mei Wang Mei Wang Chao Gu Chao Gu *
  • Department of Pharmacy, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Inflammation has been recognized as a significant factor in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which have garnered increasing scholarly attention over the past few decades. This study aims to explore research trends related to inflammation and ASD through bibliometric analysis.Method: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on August 28, 2024. This study was restricted to literature published in English. The bibliometric analysis utilized VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix" to visualize collaborations, keyword co-occurrences, and emerging research trends.Results: A total of 1,752 articles addressing inflammation and ASD were published, demonstrating a consistent upward trend in research output. The United States emerged as the country with the highest volume of publications. Saleh A. Bakheet was identified as the most prolific authors, significantly contributing to the literature with 54 publications. The University of California System was recognized as the most productive institution in this area of study. The journal of Brain Behavior and Immunity was noted as a prominent venue for publication in this field, exhibiting high citation metrics that reflect its considerable influence. The keyword "children" was the most frequently occurring term, with other significant terms including "oxidative stress" and "brain." The keyword burst analysis revealed notable periods of increased research focus on topics such as "inflammatory bowel disease," "cytokine production," "neurodevelopmental disorders," and "microbiota."Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis highlights the growing scholarly attention devoted to the relationship between inflammation and ASD. Significant contributions and emerging trends emphasize the pivotal role of neuroinflammation in ASD, indicating a necessity for further exploration in this domain.

    Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Inflammation, Neuroinflammation, Bibliometrics, Citation analysis

    Received: 26 Nov 2024; Accepted: 28 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Du, Zhang, Li, Yuan, Wang, Zhu, Wang and Gu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chao Gu, Department of Pharmacy, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.