Objective To explore the publications containing study themes focusing on effects of particulate matter (PM) on DNA methylation by bibliometric analysis, in order to provide a quantitative understanding and research highlights of literature characteristics to researchers, as well as references for future research.

Methods  The search strategy was constructed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. All articles related to the effect of PM on DNA methylation were retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE and imported into Thomson Data Analyzer (TDA) software. The basic information on characteristics of the included articles were described. Analysis on collaborative researchers and hot study themes were conducted using visualizing network and co-word & cluster analysis via high-frequency MeSH terms, respectively.

Results  A total of 58 papers on PM and DNA methylation were retrieved. From 2011, the number of published articles in the field was growing, the Environmental Health Perspectives ranked first (9 papers), and the United States occupied the largest percentage (46 papers). Active and passive smoke exposure induced health effects received the most attention. Middle aged and aged people were the major target groups in epidemiology studies. Lung cancer and asthma were the main focused health outcomes, whereas less concern was paid to cardiovascular diseases. Compared with specific functional genes, genome-wide DNA methylation was more of concern.

Conclusion  The relationship of PM and DNA methylation is an emerging and noteworthy research field. The bibliometric analysis based on TDA software could provide comprehensive information and hot topics for further biomedical researchers.