Title: Clinical significance and long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis patients with
appendiceal orifice inflammation
Version: 1 Date: 18 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript analyzed the clinical significance of AOI in UC by cross-sectionally comparing
the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without. The authors did not find any
difference between them and concluded that AOI might have no prognostic implication in distal
UC patients. The manuscript is well-structured, and the focus is very clear. However, there are
several shortcomings that should be addressed prior to publication.
Major
1) The authors compared the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without
only cross-sectionally. Since this work was performed retrospectively and the follow-up period
varies dependent on patients, longitudinal data including time to disease extension and treatment
intensification (i.e., use of corticosteroids or anti-TNF agents etc.) should be analyzed using a
Kaplan-Meier method.
2) A significantly higher proportion of patients with AOI took high doses of 5-ASA than
those without. In contrast, AOI negative patients were more likely to have treatment with
corticosteroids, thiopurines, or anti-TNF agents than AOI positive patients (Table2). These
data seem to imply that AOI negative patients are more refractory to 5-ASA and thus required
treatment intensification than AOI positive patients. Indeed, a total proctocolectomy was
performed only in AOI negative patients (Line 1-2 of Page 8). The author should discuss this
point in the manuscript.
Minor
1) The mean values of continuous variables are shown frequently with ranges in the manuscript.
The authors should think about their distribution to determine whether they use mean or median
value. The mean values are usually accompanied by standard deviations and the median values
are by ranges. If the continuous variables are not normally distributed, the authors should avoid
to use Student’s t-test.
Title: Clinical significance and long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis patients with
appendiceal orifice inflammation
Version: 1 Date: 18 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript analyzed the clinical significance of AOI in UC by cross-sectionally comparing
the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without. The authors did not find any
difference between them and concluded that AOI might have no prognostic implication in distal
UC patients. The manuscript is well-structured, and the focus is very clear. However, there are
several shortcomings that should be addressed prior to publication.
Major
1) The authors compared the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without
only cross-sectionally. Since this work was performed retrospectively and the follow-up period
varies dependent on patients, longitudinal data including time to disease extension and treatment
intensification (i.e., use of corticosteroids or anti-TNF agents etc.) should be analyzed using a
Kaplan-Meier method.
2) A significantly higher proportion of patients with AOI took high doses of 5-ASA than
those without. In contrast, AOI negative patients were more likely to have treatment with
corticosteroids, thiopurines, or anti-TNF agents than AOI positive patients (Table2). These
data seem to imply that AOI negative patients are more refractory to 5-ASA and thus required
treatment intensification than AOI positive patients. Indeed, a total proctocolectomy was
performed only in AOI negative patients (Line 1-2 of Page 8). The author should discuss this
point in the manuscript.
Minor
1) The mean values of continuous variables are shown frequently with ranges in the manuscript.
The authors should think about their distribution to determine whether they use mean or median
value. The mean values are usually accompanied by standard deviations and the median values
are by ranges. If the continuous variables are not normally distributed, the authors should avoid
to use Student’s t-test.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Clinical significance and long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis patients with
appendiceal orifice inflammation
Version: 1 Date: 18 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript analyzed the clinical significance of AOI in UC by cross-sectionally comparing
the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without. The authors did not find any
difference between them and concluded that AOI might have no prognostic implication in distal
UC patients. The manuscript is well-structured, and the focus is very clear. However, there are
several shortcomings that should be addressed prior to publication.
Major
1) The authors compared the clinical outcomes between patients with AOI and those without
only cross-sectionally. Since this work was performed retrospectively and the follow-up period
varies dependent on patients, longitudinal data including time to disease extension and treatment
intensification (i.e., use of corticosteroids or anti-TNF agents etc.) should be analyzed using a
Kaplan-Meier method.
2) A significantly higher proportion of patients with AOI took high doses of 5-ASA than
those without. In contrast, AOI negative patients were more likely to have treatment with
corticosteroids, thiopurines, or anti-TNF agents than AOI positive patients (Table2). These
data seem to imply that AOI negative patients are more refractory to 5-ASA and thus required
treatment intensification than AOI positive patients. Indeed, a total proctocolectomy was
performed only in AOI negative patients (Line 1-2 of Page 8). The author should discuss this
point in the manuscript.
Minor
1) The mean values of continuous variables are shown frequently with ranges in the manuscript.
The authors should think about their distribution to determine whether they use mean or median
value. The mean values are usually accompanied by standard deviations and the median values
are by ranges. If the continuous variables are not normally distributed, the authors should avoid
to use Student’s t-test.
assistant