Mapping current status and emerging trends in NETosis: A bibliometric study

Abstract

Background: NETosis is a critical innate immune mechanism of neutrophils that contributes to the accelerated progression of autoimmune diseases, thrombosis, cancer, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the relevant literature by bibliometric methods in order to provide a more comprehensive and objective view of the knowledge dynamics in the field. Methods: The literature on NETosis was downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection, analyzed with VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft for co-authorship, co-occurrence, and co-citation analysis. Results: In the field of NETosis, the United States was the most influential countries. Harvard University was the most active institutions. Mariana J. Kaplan and Brinkmann V were, respectively, the most prolific and most co-cited authors. Frontiers in Immunology, Journal of Immunology, Plos One, Blood, Science, Journal of Cell Biology, and Nature Medicine were the most influential journals. The top 15 keywords are associated with immunological and NETosis formation mechanisms. The keywords with the strongest burst detection were mainly related to COVID-19 (coronavirus, ACE2, SARS coronavirus, cytokine storm, pneumonia, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio), and cancer (circulating tumor cell). Conclusion: Research on NETosis is currently booming. The mechanism of NETosis and its role in innate immunity, autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and thrombosis are the focus of research in the field of NETosis. A future study will concentrate on the function of NETosis in COVID-19 and recurrent metastasis of cancer.

Identification and analysis of chemokine-related and NETosis-related genes in acute pancreatitis to develop a predictive model

“…In recent years, NETosis research has been booming ( Wang H. et al, 2023 ). Evidence shows that dysregulated NETosis leads to hypercoagulability and thrombosis ( Dechamps et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Evidence shows that dysregulated NETosis leads to hypercoagulability and thrombosis ( Dechamps et al, 2021 ). Notably, neutrophil influx and cancer cells can release chemokines that attract neutrophils and induce NETs formation ( Wang H. et al, 2023 ). The pathophysiological role of NETosis in neutrophil infection immunity is not entirely understood, but it is an essential mechanism for neutrophil anti-infection immunity ( Ou et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Despite the crucial role that NETosis plays in antimicrobial processes, excessive NETosis can lead to severe tissue damage and exacerbation of inflammation ( Hafkamp et al, 2022 ). It is noteworthy that NETosis causes thrombosis, which exacerbates COVID-19, cancer, acute myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke ( Wang H. et al, 2023 ). When chemokines activate neutrophils, they migrate into inflammation sites, produce antimicrobial agents, undergo NETosis, and kill bacteria ( Balachandran et al, 2022 ).…”