Research progress and hotspot analysis of allergic rhinitis of pollen sensitisation

Abstract

The allergens of allergic rhinitis are diverse and can be broadly categorised as inhalant and ingestible, whereas pollen is an inhalant allergen, and allergic rhinitis due to pollen has received increasing attention in recent decades. The lack of bibliometric analyses, however, poses a challenge to researchers seeking to understand general trends in this field. Literature on pollen-induced allergic rhinitis was searched from 2011 to 2023, with a total of 2,188 articles until 18 April 2024. Through the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 475 articles were finally included in the literature. Publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, citations and keywords were analysed using VOSviewer and Citespace. Keywords with strong citation bursts were also identified by detailed analyses to identify changes and future trends in research hotspots in the field. Germany has the highest number of publications, followed by the U.S. and France. The Medical University of Vienna International (Med Univ Vienna) is the institution with the largest contribution. Prof Damialis, Athanasios from the School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, is the most prolific author in this field. By analysing the keywords, three research hotspots were identified: research on the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis, research on therapeutic modalities of allergic rhinitis and research on AR risk factors and diagnostic methods. In recent years, there has been a shift in the focus of research in this area, suggesting that future research will concentrate on two cutting-edge keywords: “risk” and “airborne pollen”. The interest in allergic rhinitis of pollen sensitisation is still rising and considerable collaboration has been formed between authors, journals and countries. There are also a number of very influential and productive research hotspots in this area. It is assumed that new research will continue to be conducted in this area in the future, centred on “risk” and “airborne pollen”.