Abstract
Telomere length in early life has been recently associated with biological aging and development of negative consequences in later adult life. A relevant area of research has emerged to understand the factors that impact telomere length in children. We conducted a bibliometric analysis to track research output and identify global trends and gaps in the knowledge of telomere length in children. Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Web of Science database and then analyzed by using Bibliometrix R package. A total of 840 publications were yielded from 1991 to 2019. The references were prominently published in journals, with 20 high ranked journals contributing to 30% of literature on telomere length in children. The USA was the most productive country (35.7%), followed by Europe (12.1%), and Asia (11.9%). A knowledge map of telomere length in children through keyword analyses revealed that there were two potential main lines of research based on two different approaches: genomic research and epidemiological research. This study shows that telomere length in children is a topic of research that has gained significant relevance in the last decade. This bibliometric study may be helpful in identifying research trends and finding research hot spots and gaps in this research field.
Highlights
The telomere is a DNA-protein complex at chromosome ends that plays an essential role in maintaining and protecting chromosomal and genetic stability
The first article published on telomere length in children was dated 1991 and the annual growth rate in this research area was of 17.3%
This study shows that telomere length in children is a topic of research that has gained significant relevance in the last decade
Summary
The telomere is a DNA-protein complex at chromosome ends that plays an essential role in maintaining and protecting chromosomal and genetic stability. The enzyme telomerase acts as a protective mechanism by adding telomeric repeat sequences to the ends of chromosomes, thereby preventing oxidative stress and cellular damage [1]. This protective physiological function does not remain constant. There are damage causing processes that occur and can prompt the shortening of telomeres. In this regard, it is well known that DNA replication cycles naturally shorten telomeres over the human life span, therein telomere length is generally considered as a good biomarker of biological aging [2]. Research focused on the mechanisms underlying telomere length has indicated that oxidative stress and
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