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ArticleHepatic medicine : evidence and research2025

Mapping the Intellectual Landscape: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis of Mechanisms in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Jia-Wei Huang, Ng Xin Man, Hong-Xin Wang, Xiang-Ting Ai, Dan-Lei Wei, Yun-Kai Dai

Abstract read
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Article in Hepatic medicine : evidence and research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

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6 authors.

Jia-Wei HuangThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510130, People's Republic of China.
Ng Xin ManThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510130, People's Republic of China.
Hong-Xin WangSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510632, People's Republic of China.
Xiang-Ting AiThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510130, People's Republic of China.
Dan-Lei WeiThe Affiliated Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510130, People's Republic of China.
Yun-Kai DaiDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510130, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-1667-4670

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), affecting between 20% and 30% of adults around the world, represents a growing public health burden characterized by hepatic steatosis concurrent with cardiometabolic risk factors. Despite two decades of research into its pathophysiology - spanning insulin resistance, gut-liver axis dysregulation, and genetic/epigenetic mechanisms - the vast body of literature has not yet been systematically mapped. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis mapping the field's evolution, collaborative networks, and knowledge gaps remains lacking. Therefore, a 20-year bibliometric analysis (2005-2024) on the mechanism of MASLD was conducted. Patients and Methods: Publications on the mechanisms of MASLD were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The search period spanned from January 1st, 2005 to December 31st, 2024. Data were analyzed with CiteSpace (v6.3.R1) and VOSviewer (v1.6.20) to assess publication trends, country/institution contributions, journal influence, author networks, keyword clusters, and reference co-citations. Results: China (40.75% of publications, n=4368) and the USA (21.18%, n=2270) dominate research output, with the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Harvard University as top institutions. International collaboration is prominent, particularly between China and the USA. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Nutrients, and high-impact journals (Journal of Hepatology, IF=33.0) are key publication venues. Keyword analysis identifies five major research clusters: (1) lipid metabolism/mitochondrial dysfunction, (2) dietary factors/exercise, (3) inflammation/fibrosis, (4) metabolic comorbidities, and (5) gut-liver axis dysregulation. Temporal trends reveal a shift from insulin resistance/oxidative stress toward microbiota and molecular drivers (eg, WDR6-PPP1CB). Influential authors include Nobili Valerio (most productive) and Gerald I. Shulman (most cited; n=7703). Reference bursts highlight seminal works on disease burden (Younossi 2016) and pathogenesis (Powell 2021, Friedman 2018). Conclusion: This first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of MASLD mechanisms highlights dynamic growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evolving research hotspot. Persistent challenges include mechanistic heterogeneity, early diagnostic tools, and targeted therapies. In conclusion, this analysis provides a foundational roadmap for researchers and policymakers, highlighting the imperative to translate mechanistic insights into precision diagnostics and therapies to mitigate the growing global burden of MASLD.

Indexed as

bibliometricsmechanismmetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseasetherapy

Identifiers

PMID41368204
PMCPMC12683257

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.