Studies on allergic diseases and B cells in the past 20 years: a bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

BACKGROUND

Allergic diseases represent a growing global health burden, and B cells have emerged as central yet incompletely defined regulators of IgE-mediated immunity and tolerance. There is currently a lack of bibliometric research on allergic diseases and B cells.

METHODS

Records were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed. After applying language, time, and article-type restrictions, 3, 084 WoSCC articles and 71 PubMed-indexed clinical trials were included. CiteSpace (v6.4.R1), VOSviewer (v1.6.20), and Excel were used to analyze publication and citation trends, journals, countries, institutions, authors, keyword co-occurrence, and burst terms, and to visualize co-authorship and thematic networks.

RESULTS

Annual publications and citations increased steadily, indicating sustained academic interest. Output was concentrated in leading allergy and immunology journals and in institutions from Europe and the United States, although contributions from other regions have increased over time. Keyword clustering identified stable cores around 'food allergy, ' 'asthma, ' and 'plasma cells, ' while burst and overlay analyses highlighted 'regulatory B cells' and 'innate lymphoid cells' as emerging research hotspots. These bibliometric patterns indicate growing attention to tissue-associated B-cell biology, immune regulation, and allergen immunotherapy. PubMed clinical-trial records further suggest increasing translational interest in B-cell-related interventions for allergic diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past 20 years, research on allergic diseases and B cells has evolved from descriptive immunoglobulin E (IgE) associations toward a tissue- and systems-level exploration of B-cell biology. This bibliometric analysis delineates research hotspots and translational themes, Future progress will require large, multicenter studies with standardized B-cell phenotyping and functional endpoints to support precision medicine in allergy.