Reviewer's report
Title:Blastocystosis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: a case-control
study
Version: 4Date:26 July 2012
Reviewer: Chad Porter
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Given the case-control nature of the study and the inherent sources of bias
associated with that study design, detailed information should be included
regarding the control population (ie, were these patients diagnosed with IBS,
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, other diseases).
The authors should expand on the testing for pathogenic organisms. For
example, the authors list “Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella” as the
pathogenic bacterias for which they surveyed. However, there is no mention of
diarrheagenic E. coli or assessment of any potential viral causes of the
gastrointestinal complaints listed. Were these assessed? If not, that should be
mentioned in the limitations.
Discretionary revisions
Analyses for the association between age and Blastocystis spp. similar to those
presented in the last paragraph of the results would enhance the quality of the
paper and provide supporting data that the observed associations are not the
results of uncontrolled confounding.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
Reviewer's report
Title:Blastocystosis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: a case-control
study
Version: 4Date:26 July 2012
Reviewer: Chad Porter
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Given the case-control nature of the study and the inherent sources of bias
associated with that study design, detailed information should be included
regarding the control population (ie, were these patients diagnosed with IBS,
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, other diseases).
The authors should expand on the testing for pathogenic organisms. For
example, the authors list “Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella” as the
pathogenic bacterias for which they surveyed. However, there is no mention of
diarrheagenic E. coli or assessment of any potential viral causes of the
gastrointestinal complaints listed. Were these assessed? If not, that should be
mentioned in the limitations.
Discretionary revisions
Analyses for the association between age and Blastocystis spp. similar to those
presented in the last paragraph of the results would enhance the quality of the
paper and provide supporting data that the observed associations are not the
results of uncontrolled confounding.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Blastocystosis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: a case-control
study
Version: 4Date:26 July 2012
Reviewer: Chad Porter
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Given the case-control nature of the study and the inherent sources of bias
associated with that study design, detailed information should be included
regarding the control population (ie, were these patients diagnosed with IBS,
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, other diseases).
The authors should expand on the testing for pathogenic organisms. For
example, the authors list “Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella” as the
pathogenic bacterias for which they surveyed. However, there is no mention of
diarrheagenic E. coli or assessment of any potential viral causes of the
gastrointestinal complaints listed. Were these assessed? If not, that should be
mentioned in the limitations.
Discretionary revisions
Analyses for the association between age and Blastocystis spp. similar to those
presented in the last paragraph of the results would enhance the quality of the
paper and provide supporting data that the observed associations are not the
results of uncontrolled confounding.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
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