Bibliometric analysis of the correlation between aflatoxin and hepatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin serves as a distinct risk factor for hepatic carcinoma, making the investigation into its association with hepatic carcinoma is essential for unraveling the molecular underpinnings of oncogenesis and devising therapeutic strategies for tumors. However, the mechanism by which aflatoxin causes liver cancer is not yet clear. This article aims to analyze the latest research progress and cutting-edge exploration directions for aflatoxin-induced liver cancer. METHOD: This research relies on the Web of Science core collection for information retrieval, leveraging the broad scope of the SCI-EXPANDED index to guarantee comprehensiveness and high precision of the gathered data. From April 30, 2014 to April 30, 2024, relevant original research literature and reviews on aflatoxin and liver cancer were retrieved. Subsequently, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software were used to visualize and analyze the articles. RESULTS: A total of 597 relevant studies were obtained, with 3228 authors from 1116 organizations in 94 countries. America and China are major contributors to international publications. Groopman, John D has the most publications, and Jessica Zucman-Rossi has the highest number of citations. Guangxi Medical University, China Agricultural University, Johns Hopkins University, etc were the main research institutions. Toxins, Food and Chemical Toxicology are popular journals in this field, and the most cited journal is Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Research primarily focuses on 4 areas: the correlation between aflatoxin contamination, exposure levels, and the progression of hepatic carcinoma; the underlying processes by which aflatoxin inflicts liver injury that may result in hepatic carcinoma; the combined impact of aflatoxin B1 and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) on the onset of hepatic carcinoma; and strategies for the prevention and management of aflatoxin-induced hepatic malignancies. Specifically, aflatoxins can induce hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, alter expression of coding genes and noncoding RNAs, and synergize with hepatitis B virus to promote hepatocarcinogenesis. Physical, chemical, and biological methods have been widely employed to degrade aflatoxins for liver cancer prevention and control, among which biological control have garnered significant attention from researchers. CONCLUSION: Research on the aflatoxin-hepatic carcinoma link is rapidly advancing. Furthermore, it confirms aflatoxin's pivotal role in the pathogenesis of liver cancer.