Title: Real-World Evidence on the Effectiveness and Safety of Tofacitinib in Patients with
Ulcerative Colitis in Lebanon
Version: 3 Date: 14 Apr 2024
Reviewer's report:
The retrospective cross-cestional study from Lebanon aimed to evaulate the effectiveness and
safety of tofacitinib in patients with UC in clinical practice. However the study has not presented
new results about tofacitinib, this is the first report from the Middle East and North Africa region.
The study is well designed and interpreted. I consider it is suitable for publication with minor
revision.
I have the following questions regarding the paper:
1. There are different methods of dispensation of tofacitinib in the study population. Could this
cause selection bias in the study? Self-payer patients had similar severity and disease duration
than the other patients? What does „NSSF” mean among the dispensation categories at Table 1.?
2. The main result is  that endoscopic remission was achieved in 46.7% of patients at 24 weeks.
Most of these patients were steroid free at that point. Could you indicate the corticosteroid-free
clinical and endoscopic remission, too?
3. HZV-test results were positive at 81.5% of patient. Were they previously suffered from HZV
in childhood, or vaccinated against varicella? What is your clinical practice with patients naive
to HZV? Do you vaccinate them?
Thank you for your answers!
Title: Real-World Evidence on the Effectiveness and Safety of Tofacitinib in Patients with
Ulcerative Colitis in Lebanon
Version: 3 Date: 14 Apr 2024
Reviewer's report:
The retrospective cross-cestional study from Lebanon aimed to evaulate the effectiveness and
safety of tofacitinib in patients with UC in clinical practice. However the study has not presented
new results about tofacitinib, this is the first report from the Middle East and North Africa region.
The study is well designed and interpreted. I consider it is suitable for publication with minor
revision.
I have the following questions regarding the paper:
1. There are different methods of dispensation of tofacitinib in the study population. Could this
cause selection bias in the study? Self-payer patients had similar severity and disease duration
than the other patients? What does „NSSF” mean among the dispensation categories at Table 1.?
2. The main result is  that endoscopic remission was achieved in 46.7% of patients at 24 weeks.
Most of these patients were steroid free at that point. Could you indicate the corticosteroid-free
clinical and endoscopic remission, too?
3. HZV-test results were positive at 81.5% of patient. Were they previously suffered from HZV
in childhood, or vaccinated against varicella? What is your clinical practice with patients naive
to HZV? Do you vaccinate them?
Thank you for your answers!
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Real-World Evidence on the Effectiveness and Safety of Tofacitinib in Patients with
Ulcerative Colitis in Lebanon
Version: 3 Date: 14 Apr 2024
Reviewer's report:
The retrospective cross-cestional study from Lebanon aimed to evaulate the effectiveness and
safety of tofacitinib in patients with UC in clinical practice. However the study has not presented
new results about tofacitinib, this is the first report from the Middle East and North Africa region.
The study is well designed and interpreted. I consider it is suitable for publication with minor
revision.
I have the following questions regarding the paper:
1. There are different methods of dispensation of tofacitinib in the study population. Could this
cause selection bias in the study? Self-payer patients had similar severity and disease duration
than the other patients? What does „NSSF” mean among the dispensation categories at Table 1.?
2. The main result is  that endoscopic remission was achieved in 46.7% of patients at 24 weeks.
Most of these patients were steroid free at that point. Could you indicate the corticosteroid-free
clinical and endoscopic remission, too?
3. HZV-test results were positive at 81.5% of patient. Were they previously suffered from HZV
in childhood, or vaccinated against varicella? What is your clinical practice with patients naive
to HZV? Do you vaccinate them?
Thank you for your answers!
assistant