Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Response of fibroblast growth factor 19 and bile acid synthes is after a body weight -
adjusted oral fat tolerance test in overweight and obese NAFLD patients: a non -randomized 
controlled pilot  trial 
 
Version: 1 Date: 06 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Yaron Rotman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded adequately to the concerns raised in the review to the initial 
submission.  My sincere apologies to the authors and editors for a delay in submitting this review.  
 
Minor comments:  
1. In the response they mention excluding cirrhotics. Please mention that under study subjects 
in Methods.  
2. On p. 6, line 26 - NAFLD was diagnosed by  ultrasound and/or biopsy, On p. 9, line 18 - was 
diagnosed by enzyme, ultrasound and/or biopsy. Please unify for consistency.  
3. P. 12, lines 37 -39 "… and most likely also liver fat content…". Either show the data or omit 
this claim if it is not based on data.  
4. The second paragraph on p. 12 is not clear. The paragraph implies that the authors tested the 
intake of study participants, found no difference between groups, decided they must be 
under -reporting and based on that, decided on weight -adjusted OFTT . In other words - the 
decision was based not on the findings from the nutritional protocol (so why do it?) but on 
an assumption. If this is not what the authors were trying to convey they may want to revise 
the paragraph.  
5. Figure 3 - suggest putting FG F19 on the x -axis for consistency (and because of their 
assumption that FGF19 drives bile acid concentration).  
6. There are supplementary figures 5 and 6, but not 1 -4. 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are the conclusio ns 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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy 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 interests, 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 financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, eith er now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content 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 intere sts' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
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 manusc ript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments 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://cre ativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
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 jour nal 
Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Response of fibroblast growth factor 19 and bile acid synthes is after a body weight -
adjusted oral fat tolerance test in overweight and obese NAFLD patients: a non -randomized 
controlled pilot  trial 
 
Version: 1 Date: 06 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Yaron Rotman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded adequately to the concerns raised in the review to the initial 
submission.  My sincere apologies to the authors and editors for a delay in submitting this review.  
 
Minor comments:  
1. In the response they mention excluding cirrhotics. Please mention that under study subjects 
in Methods.  
2. On p. 6, line 26 - NAFLD was diagnosed by  ultrasound and/or biopsy, On p. 9, line 18 - was 
diagnosed by enzyme, ultrasound and/or biopsy. Please unify for consistency.  
3. P. 12, lines 37 -39 "… and most likely also liver fat content…". Either show the data or omit 
this claim if it is not based on data.  
4. The second paragraph on p. 12 is not clear. The paragraph implies that the authors tested the 
intake of study participants, found no difference between groups, decided they must be 
under -reporting and based on that, decided on weight -adjusted OFTT . In other words - the 
decision was based not on the findings from the nutritional protocol (so why do it?) but on 
an assumption. If this is not what the authors were trying to convey they may want to revise 
the paragraph.  
5. Figure 3 - suggest putting FG F19 on the x -axis for consistency (and because of their 
assumption that FGF19 drives bile acid concentration).  
6. There are supplementary figures 5 and 6, but not 1 -4. 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are the conclusio ns 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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy 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 interests, 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 financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, eith er now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content 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 intere sts' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
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 manusc ript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments 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://cre ativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
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 jour nal 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Response of fibroblast growth factor 19 and bile acid synthes is after a body weight -
adjusted oral fat tolerance test in overweight and obese NAFLD patients: a non -randomized 
controlled pilot  trial 
 
Version: 1 Date: 06 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Yaron Rotman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors have responded adequately to the concerns raised in the review to the initial 
submission.  My sincere apologies to the authors and editors for a delay in submitting this review.  
 
Minor comments:  
1. In the response they mention excluding cirrhotics. Please mention that under study subjects 
in Methods.  
2. On p. 6, line 26 - NAFLD was diagnosed by  ultrasound and/or biopsy, On p. 9, line 18 - was 
diagnosed by enzyme, ultrasound and/or biopsy. Please unify for consistency.  
3. P. 12, lines 37 -39 "… and most likely also liver fat content…". Either show the data or omit 
this claim if it is not based on data.  
4. The second paragraph on p. 12 is not clear. The paragraph implies that the authors tested the 
intake of study participants, found no difference between groups, decided they must be 
under -reporting and based on that, decided on weight -adjusted OFTT . In other words - the 
decision was based not on the findings from the nutritional protocol (so why do it?) but on 
an assumption. If this is not what the authors were trying to convey they may want to revise 
the paragraph.  
5. Figure 3 - suggest putting FG F19 on the x -axis for consistency (and because of their 
assumption that FGF19 drives bile acid concentration).  
6. There are supplementary figures 5 and 6, but not 1 -4. 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are the conclusio ns 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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy 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 interests, 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 financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, eith er now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content 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 intere sts' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
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 manusc ript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments 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://cre ativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
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 jour nal 
assistant