Comparison of research trends and hotspots of DNA and RNA methylation in asthma-related studies based on bibliometric analysis

Asthma is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease, and recent research highlights the role of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA and RNA methylation, in its pathogenesis. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to evaluate research trends and hotspots in DNA and RNA methylation within asthma-related research. Data were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on English-language publications. Bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer and CiteSpace, were used to analyze publication metrics, author contributions, and keyword trends. The analysis revealed that DNA methylation research in asthma began in 1994 and has shown significant annual growth, while RNA methylation research started a year earlier but with a slightly slower growth trajectory. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom are the leading contributors, with Harvard University being notably influential. Research on DNA methylation has shown higher rates of international collaboration. Despite substantial growth in both areas, recent years have seen a decline in annual publications and citations. The "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology" was identified as the most influential journal in this field. While DNA methylation research is more mature, RNA methylation is gaining prominence, particularly in understanding asthma pathogenesis. Future research should focus on underdeveloped areas, such as "sublingual immunotherapy" and "occupational asthma" for DNA methylation, and "obesity", "lncRNA", "miRNA", "vitamin D", and methylation markers such as "m6A", "m5C", and "m7G" for RNA methylation. This bibliometric analysis provides a detailed overview of the research landscape in DNA and RNA methylation in asthma. The findings highlight significant growth and collaboration in this field, with specific areas identified for future research. Understanding these trends can help guide future studies and potentially lead to new therapeutic approaches for asthma.