Reviewer's report 
 Synergic Effect of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection and Beta Thalassemia Major with Marked Title: 
Hepatic Iron Overload on Liver Fibrosis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study 
 2  31 May 2004 Version: Date: 
 Emanuele Angelucci Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting well writen paper. The issue is time focused and provide important information for Physician involved in thalassemia care. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) Statistical methods: selection criteria for group 2 and 3 and as they matched with group 1 should be better specified. 
Table 1 : table 1 is difficult to be interpreted: I would prefer Median and range values instead that 
single numbers. The key point is fibrosis score and should be emphasized. 
Paper could be improvved reporting quantitative liver iron concentration instead that 
semiquantitative values. The liver iron concentration can be easily determined on paraffin embedded 
specimens. 
In the discussion I would omitt the discussion on the effects of immunosuppression on liver fibrosis 
in transplanted Thalassemia patients. This paper demonstrate that the same conclusion is appliable to thalassemia patients also. 
BMT is an uncommon abbreviation and can me mislaeding. I suggest to do not abbreviate 
Thalassemia Major. 
Correct spelling is Angelucci and not Angellucci 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 An article of importance in its field Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
None 
Reviewer's report 
 Synergic Effect of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection and Beta Thalassemia Major with Marked Title: 
Hepatic Iron Overload on Liver Fibrosis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study 
 2  31 May 2004 Version: Date: 
 Emanuele Angelucci Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting well writen paper. The issue is time focused and provide important information for Physician involved in thalassemia care. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) Statistical methods: selection criteria for group 2 and 3 and as they matched with group 1 should be better specified. 
Table 1 : table 1 is difficult to be interpreted: I would prefer Median and range values instead that 
single numbers. The key point is fibrosis score and should be emphasized. 
Paper could be improvved reporting quantitative liver iron concentration instead that 
semiquantitative values. The liver iron concentration can be easily determined on paraffin embedded 
specimens. 
In the discussion I would omitt the discussion on the effects of immunosuppression on liver fibrosis 
in transplanted Thalassemia patients. This paper demonstrate that the same conclusion is appliable to thalassemia patients also. 
BMT is an uncommon abbreviation and can me mislaeding. I suggest to do not abbreviate 
Thalassemia Major. 
Correct spelling is Angelucci and not Angellucci 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 An article of importance in its field Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
None 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 Synergic Effect of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection and Beta Thalassemia Major with Marked Title: 
Hepatic Iron Overload on Liver Fibrosis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study 
 2  31 May 2004 Version: Date: 
 Emanuele Angelucci Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting well writen paper. The issue is time focused and provide important information for Physician involved in thalassemia care. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) Statistical methods: selection criteria for group 2 and 3 and as they matched with group 1 should be better specified. 
Table 1 : table 1 is difficult to be interpreted: I would prefer Median and range values instead that 
single numbers. The key point is fibrosis score and should be emphasized. 
Paper could be improvved reporting quantitative liver iron concentration instead that 
semiquantitative values. The liver iron concentration can be easily determined on paraffin embedded 
specimens. 
In the discussion I would omitt the discussion on the effects of immunosuppression on liver fibrosis 
in transplanted Thalassemia patients. This paper demonstrate that the same conclusion is appliable to thalassemia patients also. 
BMT is an uncommon abbreviation and can me mislaeding. I suggest to do not abbreviate 
Thalassemia Major. 
Correct spelling is Angelucci and not Angellucci 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 An article of importance in its field Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
None 
assistant