Producción Científica

Introduction: Spinal tuberculosis (TB), or Pott’s disease, remains a significant global health issue, particularly in regions with high TB prevalence. Despite antitubercular drug therapy being the primary treatment, surgical intervention is often required in cases of spinal instability or neurological complications. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of worldwide publications related to the surgical management of spinal TB and to compare contributions from orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery in this field. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed using data from the Scopus database, covering publications from 1896 to 2024. The search strategy focused on terms related to spinal TB and surgical interventions. The analysis included 1,857 publications, which were examined for trends, key contributors, and the evolution of surgical techniques. Metrics such as the number of publications, leading authors, affiliations, countries, and funding sponsors were compared between orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery. Results: This study identified a steady increase in the number of publications over time. Key topics evolved from basic surgical methods, including early spinal procedures, to integrating pharmacological approaches alongside surgical techniques, such as antitubercular drugs, advancing into imaging research and procedure research involving refined surgical methods like spinal fusion. The recent phase reflects a shift towards technology-driven approaches, including minimally invasive techniques, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. China emerged as the leading country with the most contributions based on author, affiliations, funding sponsors, and countries. Last, orthopaedic surgery had more publications (274) than neurosurgery (96). Discussion: In conclusion, spinal TB surgery has evolved significantly, with a notable shift towards advanced, technology-driven approaches. Orthopaedic surgery leads in research output compared to neurosurgery. This bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into the global research landscape, guiding future studies in the management of spinal TB.

Introduction: Parasitic diseases pose a significant global public health challenge, affecting billions of people and causing substantial economic losses in livestock and poultry. In the fight against these infections, neutrophils play a crucial role, employing various strategies, including the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Recent studies have made significant progress in understanding NETs triggered by protozoa and helminths. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that compiles these findings and identifies research hotspots and trends in this field is still lacking. Methods: We utilized the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases to retrieve original articles on NETs induced by protozoa and helminths. After screening, the data was transferred to the visualization tools VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, and CiteSpace for analysis. Results: Our study included 159 original articles published in 69 journals, involving 909 authors from 270 institutions across 41 countries. Germany and Brazil have made the most significant contributions to the research on NETs and parasites, accounting for 45 and 32 publications, and 1,495 and 1,342 citations, respectively. Carlos Hermosilla and Anja Taubert (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany), and Elvira Saraiva (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), are leaders in the field, both in terms of publication output and citations. Frontiers in Immunology has consistently and significantly impacted the field, and an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America providing the first direct evidence of NETs release in response to a parasite is by far the most cited. Current research focuses on malaria, Toxoplasma gondii, Besnoitia besnoiti, nematodes, and the mechanisms of NETs production and their effects on parasites and host cells. Emerging trends include therapeutic targeting of NETs and comparative studies across different host and parasite species. Conclusion: This study offers a comprehensive overview and visual analysis of NETs and parasites, highlighting key areas for future research.

BACKGROUND: Liposarcomas are mesenchymal malignant tumors characterized by varying degrees of adipocytic differentiation that comprises approximately 20% of soft tissue sarcomas. Despite advancements in this field, there remains a need for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of liposarcomas. Currently, there is a lack of bibliometric surveys on the development trajectory of liposarcomas treatment, research hotspots, and author and team collaboration. METHODS: In this study, we obtained publications from the Web of Science database from 2004 to 2023, with a specific focus on the treatment of liposarcomas. By utilizing bibliometric methods, the data were processed to facilitate visual analysis of various aspects, including authors, countries, institutions, cocitations, keywords, references, and gene characteristics. RESULTS: The number of publications on liposarcomas treatment has increased over the past two decades, from 39 in 2004 to 232 in 2023, with the United States of America contributing the most publications. Among the institutions, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center had the highest volume of 87 publications. Notably, Alessandro Gronchi published 63 articles on the treatment of liposarcomas in the last 20 years. Cancers is the journal with the highest number of 57 publications. High-frequency keywords in these publications included “soft tissue sarcoma”, “liposarcoma”, “retroperitoneal sarcoma”, “surgery”, “dedifferentiated liposarcoma”, “trabectedin” and “radiotherapy”. Recent trends, identified through strong citation bursts from 2020 to 2023, include next-generation sequencing, radiotherapy, and patient-derived cell lines. High-frequency genes in the liposarcomas treatment field include TP53, MDM2, CDK4, DDIT3, and CD274. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of liposarcomas has garnered increasing attention worldwide in the last 20 years. The treatment approach has shifted from surgical resection to multidisciplinary therapy. The molecular and biological characteristics of different tumor subtypes have attracted more research attention, providing an important reference for the choice of treatment. The findings of this study contribute to providing a comprehensive understanding of liposarcomas treatment among researchers. Moreover, they offer valuable perspectives that can guide future research.

Background: The global incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rising due to changes in modern lifestyle and dietary habits, making it one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease. NAFLD can progress to more severe liver conditions, imposing significant economic burdens. Currently, no FDA-approved drugs are available for its treatment. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has gained attention for its unique theoretical framework and therapeutic strategies, particularly its potential to improve liver health by modulating liver function. Recent studies have also highlighted TCM’s ability to regulate gut microbiota, offering a promising avenue for NAFLD management. To better understand the evolving role of TCM in treating NAFLD, a comprehensive analysis of existing research is necessary. Methods: In this study, the Web of Science database was chosen as the primary data source to investigate the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Specifically, the search focused on English articles and review articles indexed in the SCI-E and SSCI databases, spanning from January 1, 2012, to October 30, 2024. The search strategy employed the following formula: TS = (“non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” OR “Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease” OR “NAFLD”) AND TS = (“TCM” OR “Herbal medicines”). The analysis encompassed various aspects such as authors, keywords, journals, countries, institutions, and references. For this purpose, analytical tools including VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace were utilized to systematically evaluate the gathered data. Results: A total of 306 documents were retrieved, indicating a rising trend in the number of publications, which is expected to accelerate in the future. China is at the forefront in terms of both the quantity of publications and total citations, demonstrating strong international collaboration. Within China, Shanghai University of TCM and Chengdu University of TCM are leading institutions, having established a stable group of collaborating authors. The top 10 key journals account for 49.02 % of the publications, with Frontiers in Pharmacology being the most prolific, while the World Journal of Gastroenterology boasts the highest average number of citations. The most frequently cited journals are Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, and Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Keyword analysis reveals that high-frequency terms such as steatohepatitis are prevalent, addressing topics like pathogenesis, indirect therapeutic effects, and molecular biological mechanisms. Recent outbreak word analysis highlights ‘cell’ and ‘steatohepatitis’ as current hotspots, with ‘NASH’ anticipated to be a focal point in 2024. Discussion: The number of publications on TCM treatments for NAFLD has steadily increased, with TCM exhibiting therapeutic effects through various mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid metabolism modulation, and gut microbiota regulation. The anti-inflammatory effects primarily result from the inhibition of inflammatory signaling pathways. Antioxidant properties arise from bioactive compounds in TCM and their modulation of related pathways. Lipid metabolism improvement occurs through the regulation of spleen and stomach functions, promoting lipolysis. Furthermore, TCM regulates intestinal microbiota, restoring microbial balance and enhancing intestinal barrier function. Future research should focus on the synergistic mechanisms underlying these multiple pathways to develop more comprehensive therapeutic strategies. Additionally, expanding the data sources for further analysis is crucial. However, this study has limitations, including reliance on a limited selection of databases and keywords from Web of Science, which may not capture all relevant literature, and the potential bias in the bibliometric analysis.