Trends in NLRP3 inflammasome research in ischemic stroke from 2011 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of permanent disability and death globally. The nucleotide‐biding oligomaerization domain (NOD)‐like receptor family pyrin domain‐containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a multi‐protein complex that plays a role in ischemic stroke. Recently, research on the role of NLRP3 in ischemic stroke has developed rapidly worldwide. However, there is no bibliometric analysis of NLRP3 in ischemic stroke to date. AIM: Through bibliometric analysis, the aim of this study was to assess the current state of research on NLRP3 in the field of ischemic stroke research worldwide over the past 12 years and to identify important results, major research areas, and emerging trends. METHODS: Publications related to NLRP3 in ischemic stroke from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). We used HistCite, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix for bibliometric analysis and visualization. The Total Global Citation Score (TGCS) was employed to assess the impact of publications. RESULTS: We found that research of NLRP3 in ischemic stroke developed rapidly starting in 2011. 601 relevant studies have been published in 245 journals over the past 12 years. Journal of Neuroinflammation and International Immunopharmacology were the most productive journals and Journal of Neuroinflammation was the most cited journal. Additionally, Stroke and Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism were the most co‐cited journal. The most productive country was China (records = 430) and the most productive university was the Zhejiang University (records = 24). Arumugam TV (TGCS = 949) was the most cited author in this field. NLRP3 inflammasome activation, nf–κb, oxidative stress, and inflammation were the knowledge bases for the research in this field. CONCLUSION: This study is a scientometric study utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods to comprehensively review the publications on NLRP3 in ischemic stroke. This information provides a reference for scholars to further study NLRP3 in ischemic stroke.