Reviewer's report
Title:Changes of the T cells-related cytokines on post-infectious irritable bowel
syndrome mouse model
Version:2Date:27 December 2014
Reviewer: patrick A hughes
Reviewer's report:
The authors investigated whether acute inflammation induced by Trichinella has
long term implications on immune and nerve function after the infection has
cleared. The results show that there is an increase in Th1 type cytokines (but not
IL-1b) and a decrease in IL-10 in regional segments of the small intestine but not
the colon, and there is an increase response to balloon distension in
post-infected mice but compared to healthy mice. This work is potentially very
interesting, but suffers from several major issues:
Major Revisions:
1: Trich. spiralis infection is recognised as causing a mainly TH2 type response
from the immune system. The interesting findings here indicate this may switch
to a TH1 type response after clearance. While the authors show that histology is
cleared, these findings would be much stronger if TH1 and Th2 type cytokines
were evaluated during infection to provide an indication of the immune phenotype
of the infection.
2: Previous work investigating Trich. spiralis infection was not adequately
discussed in the introduction or the discussion.
3: T cells were not specifically investigated as part of this study, and other
immune cell types are capable of secreting cytokines. Therefore the title gives
the wrong impression and needs to be changed.
4: Histology is presented as evidence of inflammation, but individual regions of
the small intestine and colon were not scored so there is no indication of the
severity of the inflammation caused.
5: AWR scores were altered during low / mid pressures, but did not significantly
differ from healthy mice at high pressures. This indicates low/medium threshold
nerves but not high threshold nerves are altered, but this is not discussed
adequately.
6: The standard of English needs improvement and proof reading.
There are no minor essential revisions or discresionary revisions.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
None
Reviewer's report
Title:Changes of the T cells-related cytokines on post-infectious irritable bowel
syndrome mouse model
Version:2Date:27 December 2014
Reviewer: patrick A hughes
Reviewer's report:
The authors investigated whether acute inflammation induced by Trichinella has
long term implications on immune and nerve function after the infection has
cleared. The results show that there is an increase in Th1 type cytokines (but not
IL-1b) and a decrease in IL-10 in regional segments of the small intestine but not
the colon, and there is an increase response to balloon distension in
post-infected mice but compared to healthy mice. This work is potentially very
interesting, but suffers from several major issues:
Major Revisions:
1: Trich. spiralis infection is recognised as causing a mainly TH2 type response
from the immune system. The interesting findings here indicate this may switch
to a TH1 type response after clearance. While the authors show that histology is
cleared, these findings would be much stronger if TH1 and Th2 type cytokines
were evaluated during infection to provide an indication of the immune phenotype
of the infection.
2: Previous work investigating Trich. spiralis infection was not adequately
discussed in the introduction or the discussion.
3: T cells were not specifically investigated as part of this study, and other
immune cell types are capable of secreting cytokines. Therefore the title gives
the wrong impression and needs to be changed.
4: Histology is presented as evidence of inflammation, but individual regions of
the small intestine and colon were not scored so there is no indication of the
severity of the inflammation caused.
5: AWR scores were altered during low / mid pressures, but did not significantly
differ from healthy mice at high pressures. This indicates low/medium threshold
nerves but not high threshold nerves are altered, but this is not discussed
adequately.
6: The standard of English needs improvement and proof reading.
There are no minor essential revisions or discresionary revisions.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
None
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Changes of the T cells-related cytokines on post-infectious irritable bowel
syndrome mouse model
Version:2Date:27 December 2014
Reviewer: patrick A hughes
Reviewer's report:
The authors investigated whether acute inflammation induced by Trichinella has
long term implications on immune and nerve function after the infection has
cleared. The results show that there is an increase in Th1 type cytokines (but not
IL-1b) and a decrease in IL-10 in regional segments of the small intestine but not
the colon, and there is an increase response to balloon distension in
post-infected mice but compared to healthy mice. This work is potentially very
interesting, but suffers from several major issues:
Major Revisions:
1: Trich. spiralis infection is recognised as causing a mainly TH2 type response
from the immune system. The interesting findings here indicate this may switch
to a TH1 type response after clearance. While the authors show that histology is
cleared, these findings would be much stronger if TH1 and Th2 type cytokines
were evaluated during infection to provide an indication of the immune phenotype
of the infection.
2: Previous work investigating Trich. spiralis infection was not adequately
discussed in the introduction or the discussion.
3: T cells were not specifically investigated as part of this study, and other
immune cell types are capable of secreting cytokines. Therefore the title gives
the wrong impression and needs to be changed.
4: Histology is presented as evidence of inflammation, but individual regions of
the small intestine and colon were not scored so there is no indication of the
severity of the inflammation caused.
5: AWR scores were altered during low / mid pressures, but did not significantly
differ from healthy mice at high pressures. This indicates low/medium threshold
nerves but not high threshold nerves are altered, but this is not discussed
adequately.
6: The standard of English needs improvement and proof reading.
There are no minor essential revisions or discresionary revisions.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
None
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