Impact of COVID-19 on inflammatory disease research: a literature analysis of 77,575 PubMed articles

Introduction: This study investigated how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic influenced research trends related to inflammatory diseases and biomarkers. By analyzing large-scale bibliographic data, the study aimed to clarify thematic transitions over the past 3 decades and to identify emerging perspectives that shape current and future directions. Material and methods: = 77,575) published from 1995 to 2024 were examined using Python (Version 3.10.5) in a PyCharm (Software Version 2022.1.3) environment. Titles, abstracts, and key words were preprocessed by removing stop words and symbols, and the 50 most frequent terms were extracted. A key word co-occurrence matrix was constructed to evaluate relationships between terms, and heatmaps were generated for visualization. To capture developmental stages, the dataset was divided into 3 periods (1995-2004, 2005-2014, 2015-2024), and thematic shifts were compared across intervals. Results: The analysis revealed distinct transitions. From 1995 to 2004, research emphasized immune pathways and molecular mechanisms. Between 2005 and 2014, the focus shifted toward translational and clinical applications. After 2015, particularly during the COVID-19 era, biomarker studies expanded into public health, epidemiology, and infection monitoring. Conclusions: Biomarker research in inflammatory diseases has progressed from molecular inquiry to clinical translation and now to population-level health strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trajectory, positioning biomarkers as pivotal tools that link laboratory science with public health preparedness and policy. Beyond clarifying historical shifts, this study demonstrates how quantitative bibliometric analysis can reveal overlooked relationships between research domains and highlight emerging perspectives. Such findings not only inform scientific agendas but also guide policymakers in strengthening healthcare systems. By framing biomarkers as both scientific markers and societal instruments, this study underscores their transformative role and offers a comprehensive foundation for shaping future investigations.