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Review
. 2022 Sep 22;11(19):5545.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11195545.

Global Trends in Research on Cell-Free Nucleic Acids in Obstetrics and Gynecology during 2017-2021

Wenyan Gao  1 , Hongyue Yang  2 , Wanting Cheng  3 , Xiao Wang  3 , Da Li  2   4 , Bei Shi  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Global Trends in Research on Cell-Free Nucleic Acids in Obstetrics and Gynecology during 2017-2021

Wenyan Gao et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify global trends in research on cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) from a bibliometric perspective and provide researchers with new research hotspots.

Methods: In all, we extracted 5038 pieces of literature from PubMed and 527 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database related to cfDNA published from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021. For PubMed literature, we employed co-word, biclustering, and strategic diagram analysis to describe the trends in research on cfDNA in the said five years. Then, we used VOSviewer analysis for the WoSCC database to display the trends in research on cfDNA in obstetrics and gynecology during 2017-2021.

Results: Strategy diagram analysis of 95 major Medical Subject Headings terms extracted from 5038 pieces of literature indicated that cfDNA sequence analysis for non-invasive prenatal and genetic testing and its application in the fields of neoplasm genetics and diagnosis is a newly emerging immature theme of cfDNA. VOSviewer analysis of 527 articles showed the global trends in research on cfDNA in obstetrics and gynecology, for example, in terms of most influential authors, institutions, countries, journals, and five research hotspots: (1) cfDNA application in prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis, (2) cfDNA application in assisted reproductive technology, (3) cfDNA application in pre-eclampsia, DNA methylation, etc., (4) cfDNA application in placental dysfunction and fetal growth restriction, and (5) cfDNA application in fetal chromosomal abnormalities (fetal aneuploidy).

Conclusions: Comprehensive visual analysis provides information regarding authors, organizations, countries/regions, journals, research hotspots, and emerging topics in the field of cfDNA for obstetrics and gynecology research. This comprehensive study could make it easier to find a partner for project development and build a network of knowledge on this emerging topic.

Keywords: genetics; perinatal diagnosis invasive; prenatal screening; serum screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data collection and analysis flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Biclustering analysis and strategy diagram of 95 high-frequency major MeSH subject/MeSH subheadings and articles on cfDNA downloaded from PubMed from 2017 to 2021. (A) Matrix visualization of biclustering of 95 high-frequency major MeSH subject/MeSH subheadings and PMIDs of articles. The number before each major MeSH subject/MeSH subheading represents the serial number as shown in Table S1. (B) Mountain visualization of biclustering of 95 high-frequency major MeSH subject/MeSH subheadings and articles. (C) The significance of the four quadrants of the strategic diagram. (D) Clusters in each strategic diagram refer to the biclustering analysis results presented in Table S2. The major MeSH terms/MeSH subheadings are represented by nodes in different quadrants. The number on the node represents the number of major MeSH terms/MeSH subheadings involved in each cluster. The arrows associated with clusters point to their descriptions. PMID: PubMed unique identifier.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution and clustering analysis of main research characteristics described by VOSviewer analysis in the cfDNA study from 2017 to 2021. (A) Distribution of the main first author in the cfDNA study from 2017 to 2021. (B) Distribution of the main research institutions in the cfDNA study from 2017 to 2021. (C) Distribution of the main research countries in the cfDNA study from 2017 to 2021. (D) Distribution of the main journals in the cfDNA study from 2017 to 2021. The color of a signal node is related to the category of each characteristic.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Keyword clustering analysis and co-occurrence networks of cfDNA in the articles related to the field of obstetrics and gynecology downloaded from WoSCC. (A) Keyword clustering analysis map of cfDNA in the field of obstetrics and gynecology based on VOSviewer. (B) Frequent keyword–time dual-map for frequent cfDNA-related keywords in the field of obstetrics and gynecology based on VOSviewer. (C) Density map of frequent cfDNA-related keywords in the field of obstetrics and gynecology based on VOSviewer. The color of a signal node is related to the category of each keyword cluster. WoSCC: Web of Science Core Collection.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The main clinical applications of cfDNA genetic testing, including neoplasm genetics, metabolic disorders, and chromosomal disorders.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The application of cfDNA in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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