Reviewer’s report
Title: A Case Series Evaluating the Impact of Hepatitis C Eradication using Direct Acting Antivirals on
Primary Biliary Cholangitis-Associated Autoimmunity.
Version: 1 Date: 20 Dec 2017
Reviewer: Yoshiiku Kawakami
Reviewer's report:
Please include all comments  for the authors in this  box rather than uploading your report as an
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, supporting
materials or other aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.
This article is described DAA treatment is safe and effective in PBC patients with HCV infection.
Although the number of cases is small, the result that the effect of HCV eradication does not become a
driving source of autoantibodies is an important knowledge in treating DAA in PBC patients with HCV
infection.
Overall the manuscript is very well written. This article is thought to have useful information for
readers of this journal. 
However, I have only minor comments.
Anti-Ro 52, anti-centromere antibodies (Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr;39(2):222-9. doi:
10.1016/j.clinre.2014.08.004. Epub 2014 Sep 15.) and anti-gp 210 (Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017
Mar;45(5):733-743. doi: 10.1111/apt.13927. Epub 2017 Jan 13.) are reported to be associated with
disease progression.
It is desirable to describe if anti-centromere antibodies and anti-gp 210 have been investigated.
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 controls 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.
Not relevant to this manuscript
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Acceptable
Declaration of competing 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 
your 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: A Case Series Evaluating the Impact of Hepatitis C Eradication using Direct Acting Antivirals on
Primary Biliary Cholangitis-Associated Autoimmunity.
Version: 1 Date: 20 Dec 2017
Reviewer: Yoshiiku Kawakami
Reviewer's report:
Please include all comments  for the authors in this  box rather than uploading your report as an
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, supporting
materials or other aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.
This article is described DAA treatment is safe and effective in PBC patients with HCV infection.
Although the number of cases is small, the result that the effect of HCV eradication does not become a
driving source of autoantibodies is an important knowledge in treating DAA in PBC patients with HCV
infection.
Overall the manuscript is very well written. This article is thought to have useful information for
readers of this journal. 
However, I have only minor comments.
Anti-Ro 52, anti-centromere antibodies (Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr;39(2):222-9. doi:
10.1016/j.clinre.2014.08.004. Epub 2014 Sep 15.) and anti-gp 210 (Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017
Mar;45(5):733-743. doi: 10.1111/apt.13927. Epub 2017 Jan 13.) are reported to be associated with
disease progression.
It is desirable to describe if anti-centromere antibodies and anti-gp 210 have been investigated.
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 controls 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.
Not relevant to this manuscript
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Acceptable
Declaration of competing 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 
your 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: A Case Series Evaluating the Impact of Hepatitis C Eradication using Direct Acting Antivirals on
Primary Biliary Cholangitis-Associated Autoimmunity.
Version: 1 Date: 20 Dec 2017
Reviewer: Yoshiiku Kawakami
Reviewer's report:
Please include all comments  for the authors in this  box rather than uploading your report as an
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, supporting
materials or other aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.
This article is described DAA treatment is safe and effective in PBC patients with HCV infection.
Although the number of cases is small, the result that the effect of HCV eradication does not become a
driving source of autoantibodies is an important knowledge in treating DAA in PBC patients with HCV
infection.
Overall the manuscript is very well written. This article is thought to have useful information for
readers of this journal. 
However, I have only minor comments.
Anti-Ro 52, anti-centromere antibodies (Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr;39(2):222-9. doi:
10.1016/j.clinre.2014.08.004. Epub 2014 Sep 15.) and anti-gp 210 (Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017
Mar;45(5):733-743. doi: 10.1111/apt.13927. Epub 2017 Jan 13.) are reported to be associated with
disease progression.
It is desirable to describe if anti-centromere antibodies and anti-gp 210 have been investigated.
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 controls 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.
Not relevant to this manuscript
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Acceptable
Declaration of competing 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 
your 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