To explore the research status, hotspots, and future development trends regarding T cells in the field of spondyloarthritis (SpA) from 2004 to 2025, aiming to reveal the complex role of T cells in the pathogenesis of SpA and provide important insights for individualized treatment and the innovation of targeted strategies.

English literature related to T cells and SpA published between January 1, 2004, and August 31, 2024, was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Document types were restricted to articles and reviews. Bibliometric and visualization analyses of publication volume, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, co-cited references, and keywords were conducted using CiteSpace (v6.4.R1), VOSviewer (v1.6.19), and the Bibliometrix package in R.

A total of 1,613 publications were included in this study. The annual publication volume showed a significant upward trend year by year, peaking in 2023 with 121 papers.The United States ranked first globally in both publication volume (381 papers) and betweenness centrality (0.52), occupying a core dominant position. China ranked second in publication volume (247 papers), but its betweenness centrality in the international collaboration network remained relatively low. The institution with the highest publication volume was the University of Oxford (69 papers).Frontiers in Immunology was the most productive journal in this field (98 papers) , while Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases exhibited the highest centrality in the co-citation network.Keyword co-occurrence and cluster analyses revealed that "ankylosing spondylitis," "psoriatic arthritis," "interleukin 17," "genome wide association," and "gut microbiota" are the current core research themes.Keyword burst analysis indicated that recent research frontiers have shifted towards exploring "innate lymphoid cells," "secukinumab," "axial spondyloarthritis," and deep "pathogenesis".

Over the past two decades, research on the mechanism of action and targeted therapy of T cells in SpA has developed rapidly, becoming a major hotspot in the field of rheumatology and immunology. Although the global research network is continuously expanding, transnational cooperation still needs to be further strengthened. Future research focuses will likely continue to delve into the precise pathogenic networks of specific T cell subsets, interactions with gut microbiota, and the clinical efficacy translation of targeted biologics.