Nucleot(s)ide Analogs for Chronic Hepatitis Virus Therapy: A Global Bibliometric Analysis (1986-2022)

Objectives
This study aimed to analyze the global profile of the
nucleotide/nucleoside analogs (NAs) for chronic hepatitis
virus therapy-related research.
Background
NAs, which closely resemble the structure of naturally
occurring nucleotides/nucleosides, function by disrupting
the elongation of the nascent DNA strand. These compounds
are considered safe and well-tolerated, as they specifically
target viral, but not human, polymerases involved in DNA
replication. NAs are crucial in treating viral infections,
including hepatitis, and are widely used due to their efficacy
and safety. However, a study about trends in NAs for chronic
hepatitis therapy-related research was never reported before.
Methods
The NAs for chronic hepatitis therapy-related research
bibliometric analysis was performed on articles indexed in
the Scopus database from 1986 to 2022.
Results
The total number of articles published worldwide is 2,341
documents, with an annual average of 65 documents. The
United States generated the most articles (n = 486), followed
byChina (n = 454), France (n = 191), and Italy (n = 179). Since
1992, the number of publications has increased dramatically
worldwide. Globally, liver cell carcinoma, antiviral therapy,
hepatitis B (e) antigen, and alanine aminotransferase are
becoming hot research topics in the field.
Conclusions
This study provides a unique composite picture of NAs
for chronic hepatitis therapy-related research worldwide
and evaluates research productivity from 1986 to 2022.
This finding suggests that the prospects for interventions in
chronic hepatitis remain promising.