Fecal microbiota transplantation research output from 2004 to 2017: a bibliometric analysis.

Yan Li,Xiaohui Bian,Jian Zhao,Yushan Huang,Lang Xie,Chen Yang,Yanru Wang,Ziyuan Zou

doi:10.7717/peerj.6411

Abstract

BackgroundFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an emerging therapy against Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although the therapy has gained prominence, there has been no bibliometric analysis of FMT.MethodsStudies published from 2004 to 2017 were extracted from the Science Citation Index Expanded. Bibliometric analysis was used to evaluate the number or cooperation network of publications, countries, citations, references, journals, authors, institutions and keywords.ResultsA total of 796 items were included, showing an increasing trend annually. Publications mainly came from 10 countries, led by the US (n = 363). In the top 100 articles ranked by the number of citations (range 47–1,158), American Journal of Gastroenterology (2017 IF = 10.231) took the top spot. The co-citation network had 7 co-citation clusters headed by ‘recurrent Clostridium difficile infection’. The top 7 keywords with the strongest citation bursts had three parts, ‘microbiota’, ‘ diarrhea ’, and ‘case series’. All keywords were divided into four domains, ‘disease’, ‘nosogenesis’, ‘trial’, and ‘therapy’.ConclusionsThis study shows the research performance of FMT from 2004 to 2017 and helps investigators master the trend of FMT, which is also an ongoing hotspot of research.

Highlights

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic method by infusing fecal suspensions from a healthy individual into the gastrointestinal tract (Kelly et al, 2016)
Zhang et al, (2012) noted that GE Hong pioneered the use of feces to treat human diseases in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (300∼400 AD) FMT has received public attention over the past decade because of its highly effective treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and
In 2013, FMT was included in the CDI treatment guidelines which clearly stipulated that FMT should be considered for patients with a third recurrence of CDI (Surawicz et al, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic method by infusing fecal suspensions from a healthy individual into the gastrointestinal tract (Kelly et al, 2016). Zhang et al, (2012) noted that GE Hong pioneered the use of feces to treat human diseases in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (300∼400 AD) FMT has received public attention over the past decade because of its highly effective treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and. Fecal microbiota transplantation research output from 2004 to 2017: a bibliometric analysis. It has been reported that more than 300 cases of recurrent CDI were effectively treated using FMT (Van Nood et al, 2013). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an emerging therapy against Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The therapy has gained prominence, there has been no bibliometric analysis of FMT. Bibliometric analysis was used to evaluate the number or cooperation network of publications, countries, citations, references, journals, authors, institutions and keywords. This study shows the research performance of FMT from 2004 to 2017 and helps investigators master the trend of FMT, which is an ongoing hotspot of research

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion