#6843 CITATION CLASSICS IN LUPUS NEPHRITIS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Lupus nephritis is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus. During the past three decades, extensive research has been done to address this important complication and devise better management strategies. In this article we aimed to perform a thorough assessment of the research productivity in lupus nephritis by identifying the 100 most-cited articles in lupus nephritis. Methods The top 100 most-cited English language articles on lupus nephritis from 1990 were examined by bibliometric analysis from the Google Scholar database of ‘Harzing's Publish or Perish’ software. These articles were subsequently analysed in detail and the chief characteristics are presented here. Results From 1990-2022, there were 111358 citations with 3480 cites/year and an average of 111 cites/paper. Thirty articles had greater than 400 citations, with 9 having more than1000 citations. Majority of the publications were from the United States of America (46%) with maximum publications from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Bethesda. Among these 100 most-cited articles, there were a median of 7 (5-12) authors per article with a mean of 9.6 authors. Twenty-six percent of the top-100 most-cited articles were randomized controlled trials while cohort and in-vivo studies addressing pathophysiology and biopsy related data accounted for one-fourth each. Among rheumatology journals, ‘Arthritis Rheum’, ‘Ann Rheum Dis’ and ‘Lupus’ were the most preferred journals for researchers working on lupus nephritis. Conclusion This article gives an overview of the research productivity, landmark publications and emerging trends in lupus nephritis. Increased emphasis on high-quality data from randomized controlled trials is revolutionising the management of lupus nephritis.