Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Exclusive enteral nutrition induction with concomitant early thiopurine use is effective in 
maintaining steroid free remission in a Southeast Asian cohort of children with Crohn's Disease  
 
Version: 0 Date: 14 Jan 2018  
 
Reviewer: Osvaldo Borrelli  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
It was a pleasure to review the manuscript by Ong and colleagues.  
The study address a sensitive topic in the initial treatment of children with CD, and the absence 
of data in the south east of Asia could severely hamper an optimal approach mainly in the initial 
phase of the disease, mainly if it relies exclusively on ste roids.  
The manuscript is well written and competently reported. Just few typos in english.  
I have only specific point to comment:  
1. I would suggest to report the age as median and range.  
 
2. Z-score needs to be reported in the method, as it is the most imp ortune measure of growth.  
 
3. AZA therapy: the results are confounding as the authors report that 16 patients were started 
on EAZ and 2 of them did not achieve the clinical remission. However, in the following 
paragraph 15 patients on EAZ achieved the clini cal remission. Please correct or clarify  
 
4. The references need to be carefully reviewed as in few the journal/book is missing etc  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inclu de 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.  
 
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 inter ests, 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 c ontent 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.  
 
None  
 
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 a ttachments 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 comment s 
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: Exclusive enteral nutrition induction with concomitant early thiopurine use is effective in 
maintaining steroid free remission in a Southeast Asian cohort of children with Crohn's Disease  
 
Version: 0 Date: 14 Jan 2018  
 
Reviewer: Osvaldo Borrelli  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
It was a pleasure to review the manuscript by Ong and colleagues.  
The study address a sensitive topic in the initial treatment of children with CD, and the absence 
of data in the south east of Asia could severely hamper an optimal approach mainly in the initial 
phase of the disease, mainly if it relies exclusively on ste roids.  
The manuscript is well written and competently reported. Just few typos in english.  
I have only specific point to comment:  
1. I would suggest to report the age as median and range.  
 
2. Z-score needs to be reported in the method, as it is the most imp ortune measure of growth.  
 
3. AZA therapy: the results are confounding as the authors report that 16 patients were started 
on EAZ and 2 of them did not achieve the clinical remission. However, in the following 
paragraph 15 patients on EAZ achieved the clini cal remission. Please correct or clarify  
 
4. The references need to be carefully reviewed as in few the journal/book is missing etc  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inclu de 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.  
 
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 inter ests, 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 c ontent 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.  
 
None  
 
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 a ttachments 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 comment s 
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: Exclusive enteral nutrition induction with concomitant early thiopurine use is effective in 
maintaining steroid free remission in a Southeast Asian cohort of children with Crohn's Disease  
 
Version: 0 Date: 14 Jan 2018  
 
Reviewer: Osvaldo Borrelli  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
It was a pleasure to review the manuscript by Ong and colleagues.  
The study address a sensitive topic in the initial treatment of children with CD, and the absence 
of data in the south east of Asia could severely hamper an optimal approach mainly in the initial 
phase of the disease, mainly if it relies exclusively on ste roids.  
The manuscript is well written and competently reported. Just few typos in english.  
I have only specific point to comment:  
1. I would suggest to report the age as median and range.  
 
2. Z-score needs to be reported in the method, as it is the most imp ortune measure of growth.  
 
3. AZA therapy: the results are confounding as the authors report that 16 patients were started 
on EAZ and 2 of them did not achieve the clinical remission. However, in the following 
paragraph 15 patients on EAZ achieved the clini cal remission. Please correct or clarify  
 
4. The references need to be carefully reviewed as in few the journal/book is missing etc  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inclu de 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.  
 
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 inter ests, 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 c ontent 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.  
 
None  
 
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 a ttachments 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 comment s 
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