A bibliometric analysis of trace elements and diabetic kidney disease: scientific hotspots and research evolution.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, China.
- 2Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao, China.
- 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, China.
- 4Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Abstract
The role of trace elements, including zinc, selenium, iron, copper, cadmium, lead, and other essential or toxic elements, in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become increasingly recognized because of their effects on oxidative stress, metabolic regulation, and renal dysfunction. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research trends and molecular insights into these interactions is still lacking. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of publications from 1981 to 2025 using WoSCC, and data were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometric Online Analysis Platform (http://bibliometric.com/) to generate scientometric visualizations. A thorough analysis and visualization of 373 research papers on the relationship between trace elements and DKD published between 1981 and 2025 were conducted, revealing emerging research hotspots and trends. Initially, there were very few studies in this field. However, a significant increase in research interest followed in subsequent years, ultimately peaking in 2025 with 70 publications. Research in this field is mainly concentrated in Asia, particularly in China, which has the highest number of corresponding authors. International collaboration has also greatly increased citation impact. Key research topics include oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, and recently ferroptosis and cuproptosis as new molecular mechanisms in DKD. This study provides a data-driven analysis of the evolving research landscape, offering insights into the future directions of trace element-related DKD studies, particularly in understanding the transition from environmental toxicology to molecular intervention.
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BibTeX
@article{sun2026bibliometric,
title = {{A bibliometric analysis of trace elements and diabetic kidney disease: scientific hotspots and research evolution.}},
author = {Xi Sun and Yuchen Jiang and Huanjing Wang and Zhanzheng Wang and Wansen Sun and Yan Liu},
journal = {Renal failure},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/0886022x.2026.2736897},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850723},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A bibliometric analysis of trace elements and diabetic kidney disease: scientific hotspots and research evolution.
AU - Xi Sun
AU - Yuchen Jiang
AU - Huanjing Wang
AU - Zhanzheng Wang
AU - Wansen Sun
AU - Yan Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Renal failure
DO - 10.1080/0886022x.2026.2736897
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850723
AB - The role of trace elements, including zinc, selenium, iron, copper, cadmium, lead, and other essential or toxic elements, in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become increasingly recognized because of their effects on oxidative stress, metabolic regulation, and renal dysfunction. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research trends and molecular insights into these interactions is still lacking. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of publications from 1981 to 2025 using WoSCC, and data were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometric Online Analysis Platform (http://bibliometric.com/) to generate scientometric visualizations. A thorough analysis and visualization of 373 research papers on the relationship between trace elements and DKD published between 1981 and 2025 were conducted, revealing emerging research hotspots and trends. Initially, there were very few studies in this field. However, a significant increase in research interest followed in subsequent years, ultimately peaking in 2025 with 70 publications. Research in this field is mainly concentrated in Asia, particularly in China, which has the highest number of corresponding authors. International collaboration has also greatly increased citation impact. Key research topics include oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, and recently ferroptosis and cuproptosis as new molecular mechanisms in DKD. This study provides a data-driven analysis of the evolving research landscape, offering insights into the future directions of trace element-related DKD studies, particularly in understanding the transition from environmental toxicology to molecular intervention.
SN - 0886-022X
SN - 1525-6049
ER -