Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Association between acute gastrointestinal injury and biomarkers of intestinal barrier  
function in critically ill patients  
 
Version: 0 Date: 30 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Cuong Tran  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The aim of the present study was to assess the biomarkers of intestinal barrier function in 
critic ally ill patients as well as assess the correlation between the biomarkers of gut barrier 
function and clinical parameters of acute gastrointestinal injury. The authors found that the 
APACHE II scores, IAP, LPS and D -lactate levels were significantly diffe rent between the AGI 
grades. High APACHE II scores and IAP have a high odds of developing grade III and IV AGI, 
whereas elevated D -lactate have a higher odds of developing grade II, III and IV AGI. 
Furthermore SOFA scores may predict the odds of death in A GIO patients. These are interesting 
findings and it may be more compelling if the authors can indicate the magnitude of these odds 
in both the abstract and the results section. Overall the manuscript was well written and provided 
some novel findings.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which contro ls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
Declaration of compe ting interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially  from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
   
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Association between acute gastrointestinal injury and biomarkers of intestinal barrier  
function in critically ill patients  
 
Version: 0 Date: 30 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Cuong Tran  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The aim of the present study was to assess the biomarkers of intestinal barrier function in 
critic ally ill patients as well as assess the correlation between the biomarkers of gut barrier 
function and clinical parameters of acute gastrointestinal injury. The authors found that the 
APACHE II scores, IAP, LPS and D -lactate levels were significantly diffe rent between the AGI 
grades. High APACHE II scores and IAP have a high odds of developing grade III and IV AGI, 
whereas elevated D -lactate have a higher odds of developing grade II, III and IV AGI. 
Furthermore SOFA scores may predict the odds of death in A GIO patients. These are interesting 
findings and it may be more compelling if the authors can indicate the magnitude of these odds 
in both the abstract and the results section. Overall the manuscript was well written and provided 
some novel findings.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which contro ls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
Declaration of compe ting interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially  from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
   
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Association between acute gastrointestinal injury and biomarkers of intestinal barrier  
function in critically ill patients  
 
Version: 0 Date: 30 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Cuong Tran  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The aim of the present study was to assess the biomarkers of intestinal barrier function in 
critic ally ill patients as well as assess the correlation between the biomarkers of gut barrier 
function and clinical parameters of acute gastrointestinal injury. The authors found that the 
APACHE II scores, IAP, LPS and D -lactate levels were significantly diffe rent between the AGI 
grades. High APACHE II scores and IAP have a high odds of developing grade III and IV AGI, 
whereas elevated D -lactate have a higher odds of developing grade II, III and IV AGI. 
Furthermore SOFA scores may predict the odds of death in A GIO patients. These are interesting 
findings and it may be more compelling if the authors can indicate the magnitude of these odds 
in both the abstract and the results section. Overall the manuscript was well written and provided 
some novel findings.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which contro ls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
Declaration of compe ting interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially  from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
   
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant