Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: The role of circulating microRNAs for the diagnosis of hepatitis B vi rus-associated 
hepatocellular carcinoma with low alpha -fetoprotein level: A syst ematic review and meta -
analysis  
 
Version: 1 Date: 05 Jun 2020  
 
Reviewer: Chandan Kedarisetty  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like to congratulate the authors for comprehensively an alysing the relevance of miRNAs 
in detection of early HCC especially in those with low or normal A FP and secondly, identified 
the combinations of miRNAs with best sensitivity and specificity on pooled database. The 
manuscript has important take home messages for the readers and reitera tes the emerging role of 
liquid biopsies in daily clinical practice.  
 
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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
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 question s: 
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary 
from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or 
lose financially from the publication of this manuscrip t, 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 re ceived 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 interes ts 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  
 
Reviewer Publication Co nsent. 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 ) if this 
manuscript is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to  be included in the 
published report have been included as confidential comments to the editor,  which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this report, please contact the edi torial office 
before completing the review.  If you wish, yo u can include your name in your publish ed report. 
Please note you must decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and  confirm 
this decision whenever prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
 
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please publish my name with my report.  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: The role of circulating microRNAs for the diagnosis of hepatitis B vi rus-associated 
hepatocellular carcinoma with low alpha -fetoprotein level: A syst ematic review and meta -
analysis  
 
Version: 1 Date: 05 Jun 2020  
 
Reviewer: Chandan Kedarisetty  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like to congratulate the authors for comprehensively an alysing the relevance of miRNAs 
in detection of early HCC especially in those with low or normal A FP and secondly, identified 
the combinations of miRNAs with best sensitivity and specificity on pooled database. The 
manuscript has important take home messages for the readers and reitera tes the emerging role of 
liquid biopsies in daily clinical practice.  
 
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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
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 question s: 
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary 
from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or 
lose financially from the publication of this manuscrip t, 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 re ceived 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 interes ts 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  
 
Reviewer Publication Co nsent. 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 ) if this 
manuscript is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to  be included in the 
published report have been included as confidential comments to the editor,  which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this report, please contact the edi torial office 
before completing the review.  If you wish, yo u can include your name in your publish ed report. 
Please note you must decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and  confirm 
this decision whenever prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
 
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please publish my name with my report.  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: The role of circulating microRNAs for the diagnosis of hepatitis B vi rus-associated 
hepatocellular carcinoma with low alpha -fetoprotein level: A syst ematic review and meta -
analysis  
 
Version: 1 Date: 05 Jun 2020  
 
Reviewer: Chandan Kedarisetty  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like to congratulate the authors for comprehensively an alysing the relevance of miRNAs 
in detection of early HCC especially in those with low or normal A FP and secondly, identified 
the combinations of miRNAs with best sensitivity and specificity on pooled database. The 
manuscript has important take home messages for the readers and reitera tes the emerging role of 
liquid biopsies in daily clinical practice.  
 
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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
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 question s: 
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary 
from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or 
lose financially from the publication of this manuscrip t, 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 re ceived 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 interes ts 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  
 
Reviewer Publication Co nsent. 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 ) if this 
manuscript is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to  be included in the 
published report have been included as confidential comments to the editor,  which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this report, please contact the edi torial office 
before completing the review.  If you wish, yo u can include your name in your publish ed report. 
Please note you must decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and  confirm 
this decision whenever prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
 
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please publish my name with my report.  
assistant