Sarcouncil Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract: Background: Inflammation biomarkers have become indispensable tools in modern medicine for disease diagnosis, prognostic assessment, therapeutic monitoring, and risk stratification. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated research in this field, expanding the clinical application of inflammatory biomarkers across multiple medical specialties. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate global research trends, scientific productivity, and thematic evolution in inflammation biomarker research published between 2020 and 2025. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed using publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (SCI-EXPANDED). Original articles and review articles published in English between January 2020 and December 2025 were included. Bibliometric indicators, including annual scientific production, citation patterns, productive countries, journals, authors, collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence, were analyzed using Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny), VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel. Thematic evolution and research hotspots were visualized through network and thematic mapping analyses. Results: The analysis demonstrated a marked increase in scientific publications related to inflammation biomarkers during the study period, with publication output peaking between 2023 and 2024. Early research predominantly focused on COVID-19-associated inflammatory responses, cytokine storm, and classical biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), ferritin, and D-dimer. In subsequent years, research expanded toward chronic inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and neurological conditions. Hematological inflammatory indices, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), emerged as major research themes due to their accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and prognostic value. Bibliometric mapping also revealed increasing interdisciplinary collaboration and the growing integration of artificial intelligence and multi-biomarker models into inflammation research. Conclusion: Research on inflammation biomarkers experienced substantial growth between 2020 and 2025, reflecting their expanding role in precision medicine and clinical decision-making. The thematic evolution from pandemic-driven investigations toward broader applications in chronic diseases highlights the maturity of the field. Future research is expected to emphasize artificial intelligence-assisted biomarker integration, multi-marker prognostic models, and personalized inflammatory profiling to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.