Contribuição científica brasileira sobre Helicobacter pylori: uma análise bibliométrica no século XXI

Abstract

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori is one of the most prevalent infectious agents worldwide, strongly associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric neoplasms. However, the Brazilian scientific contribution in this field had not yet been analyzed from a bibliometric perspective. Objective: To map and analyze Brazilian scientific production on H. pylori between 2001 and 2024, identifying publication trends, institutional participation, collaboration networks, and main thematic focuses. Methods: A descriptive and quantitative bibliometric analysis was performed based on the PubMed database. Publications with at least one author affiliated with a Brazilian institution were included. Bibliographic data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel and visualized with VOSviewer software (version 1.6.16), allowing the mapping of co-authorship networks, institutional collaboration, and co- occurrence of terms. Results: 667 publications were identified, with progressive growth until 2019 and stabilization in subsequent years. Most studies were observational or review articles, concentrated in public universities in the Southeast and South regions. Antimicrobial resistance, eradication therapies, and virulence mechanisms were the main topics addressed. There were relevant international collaborations, especially with Portugal, Italy, and Japan, and a predominance of female authorship in leading positions. Conclusion: Brazilian research on H. pylori reveals thematic diversification, institutional strengthening, and increasing international integration, although regional inequalities persist. The expansion of multicenter networks, the integration of bibliometric and epidemiological data, and the investigation of emerging topics, such as vaccines and nanomaterial-based therapies, can broaden Brazil's contribution to global research on H. pylori. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]