Research status of connective tissue growth factor in fibrosis: a perspective of bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2024

Background Fibrosis is the endpoint of the evolution of chronic diseases, resulting in disability and even death in obvious tissues or organs. Therefore, it is imperative to find effective diagnosis and treatment approaches for fibrosis. Numerous studies have confirmed the intimate association between connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and fibrosis. CTGF, as a crucial growth factor in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue, is considered a primary driving factor in many progressive fibrotic diseases. Methods This investigation seeks to analyze CTGF's research trajectory in the realm of fibrosis and explore the research status and prevailing focal points. Relevant literature was found by searching the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from 2004 to 2024 and conducting bibliometric analysis and visualization through the utilization of CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R software tools. Results Over the last two decades, there has been an upward trend in the overall volume of publications. China, the United States, and Japan are the major contributors to the output. The journal with the most published articles is PLOS ONE , while the most cited journal is the JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY . The author who has published the most papers and the most frequently co-cited author is Leask, Andrew. The top three keywords are "fibrosis," " Connective tissue growth factor," and "expression." Conclusions Through conducting a bibliometric analysis of this study, we have revealed the research status and hotspots of CTGF in fibrotic diseases, which provided potential research directions for researchers in this field.