Celiac disease and the gut microbiota: bibliometric mapping of research hotspots and immune-mechanistic trends

Background Celiac disease (CeD) is a chronic gluten-triggered immune-mediated enteropathy. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may contribute to CeD pathophysiology. However, the global research landscape, hotspot evolution, and immune-mechanistic trends in CeD–gut microbiota research remain insufficiently mapped. This study aimed to systematically map the current research landscape and future hotspots in CeD–gut microbiota research. Methods We conducted a bibliometric analysis with a mechanism-oriented narrative interpretation. Literature related to CeD and the gut microbiota was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed through April 25, 2026, without a lower publication-year restriction (the earliest eligible record was published in 2005). A total of 265 WoSCC records constituted the primary bibliometric dataset, while 320 PubMed records were analyzed separately for cross-database sensitivity comparison. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix were used to analyze publication trends, journals, authors, countries or regions, institutions, co-citation structures, keywords, and burst terms. Results Annual publication output showed an overall upward trend in CeD–gut microbiota research, indicating sustained academic attention to this field. Core journal distribution suggested that this research area spans nutrition, microbiology, immunology, gastroenterology, and molecular biology. Nutrients was the most productive journal, with 37 publications. Sanz Y was the most productive author, with 18 publications, and Italy was the leading country, with 73 publications. Keyword co-occurrence and burst analyses further suggested that the field has gradually shifted from descriptive dysbiosis studies toward functional and immune-mechanistic investigations. Conclusion This study systematically mapped the knowledge structure and evolutionary trends of global CeD–gut microbiota research. The findings indicate that research attention has expanded from early descriptive analyses of microbial composition toward functional and immune-related questions involving the gut microbiota–gluten peptide metabolism–epithelial barrier–mucosal immunity axis, which may provide a useful conceptual framework for interpreting the evolution of the literature. Future studies should further integrate prospective cohorts, multi-site sampling, multi-omics analyses, standardized dietary assessment, and immune phenotyping to investigate causal host–microbe relationships and evaluate the potential of microbiota-targeted nutritional and immunological strategies in CeD.