Abstract
BACKGROUND: The IL-1 family has been discovered for more than 40 years, and its roles have been extensively explored in numerous studies, involving innate immunity, acquired immunity, and many inflammatory-associated diseases. In this study, we aimed to identify the research hotspots and forecast future trends through bibliometric analysis. METHODS: The articles and reviews were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from the inception of the database to October 28th, 2022. CiteSpace and Online Analysis Platform of Literature Metrology were used for bibliometric and knowledge-map analyses. RESULTS: A total of 128,915 papers were included in 5703 academic journals by more than 100,000 authors in 35,411 institutions from 173 countries/regions. USA and China were the most productive countries. University of California System contributed the highest number of papers followed by Harvard University and Udice French Research Universities. The journal PLoS One published the most papers on IL-1. Eicke Latz contributed the most publications. Notably, the number of highly cited papers was 826, included in 358 academic journals by 7443 authors in 1803 institutions from 77 countries/regions. USA was absolutely in the leading position in highly cited papers, with Harvard Medical School producing the most highly cited publications. Nature was the maximum co-cited journal, meanwhile, and published the largest number of highly cited papers. Charles A. Dinarello authored the most papers and had the highest number of co-citations. The most of top 10 co-cited references in highly cited papers on mechanisms and diseases reflected the emphasis on the knowledge basis. The most influential research hotspots included mechanisms, the roles in different diseases, and pharmacological inhibitors. In addition, the cytokine storm emerged as the latest hotspot, driven by the breakout of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: As a participant in the inflammatory reaction, the IL-1 family plays important roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes by bibliometric analysis. This analysis of IL-1 will help the researchers identify the current hotspots of this field and forecast potential future research directions.