Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease – Association with single-nucleotide
polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome and clinical management
Version: 
0 
Date: 
02 Dec 2019
Reviewer: 
Kazuhiro Katada
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript was reviewed for publication in the journal. The manuscript was designed to investigate
an association between abdominal pain in patients with IBD and IBS-associated SNPs. The results
obtained showed that maximum abdominal pain in UC patients was associated with two IBS-associated
SNPs and that pain levels had a pronounced impact on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in CD but
not in UC. It is the reviewer's opinion that the manuscript is interesting and the results are clear. However,
it appears that there are a couple of concerns in the manuscript.
1) The authors have discussed the limitation of the study; however, scores of abdominal pains distinguish
only four levels of abdominal pain intensity: none, mild, moderate and severe. Furthermore, the degree of
abdominal pain appears to be a subjective parameter. The authors should further discuss the issue.
2) The authors have focused on the maximum abdominal pain in the study. How about the median
abdominal pain in the same examinations? Which parameter is much better, maximum abdominal pain or
median abdominal pain? The authors should discuss the issue.
3) As the authors mentioned in the manuscript, the authors did not use the pain questionnaires. The
objective scores by the pain questionnaires appear to be valuable. The authors should discuss the issue.
4) Full title is "Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with single
nucleotide polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome". This is only first part of the study. The
last part of the study includes the association between abdominal pain and clinical management of IBD
patients. The authors should reconsider the title.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
No
Does the work include 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 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 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 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 interests' 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 manuscript 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://creativecommons.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 journal
Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease – Association with single-nucleotide
polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome and clinical management
Version: 
0 
Date: 
02 Dec 2019
Reviewer: 
Kazuhiro Katada
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript was reviewed for publication in the journal. The manuscript was designed to investigate
an association between abdominal pain in patients with IBD and IBS-associated SNPs. The results
obtained showed that maximum abdominal pain in UC patients was associated with two IBS-associated
SNPs and that pain levels had a pronounced impact on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in CD but
not in UC. It is the reviewer's opinion that the manuscript is interesting and the results are clear. However,
it appears that there are a couple of concerns in the manuscript.
1) The authors have discussed the limitation of the study; however, scores of abdominal pains distinguish
only four levels of abdominal pain intensity: none, mild, moderate and severe. Furthermore, the degree of
abdominal pain appears to be a subjective parameter. The authors should further discuss the issue.
2) The authors have focused on the maximum abdominal pain in the study. How about the median
abdominal pain in the same examinations? Which parameter is much better, maximum abdominal pain or
median abdominal pain? The authors should discuss the issue.
3) As the authors mentioned in the manuscript, the authors did not use the pain questionnaires. The
objective scores by the pain questionnaires appear to be valuable. The authors should discuss the issue.
4) Full title is "Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with single
nucleotide polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome". This is only first part of the study. The
last part of the study includes the association between abdominal pain and clinical management of IBD
patients. The authors should reconsider the title.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
No
Does the work include 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 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 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 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 interests' 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 manuscript 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://creativecommons.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 journal
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease – Association with single-nucleotide
polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome and clinical management
Version: 
0 
Date: 
02 Dec 2019
Reviewer: 
Kazuhiro Katada
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript was reviewed for publication in the journal. The manuscript was designed to investigate
an association between abdominal pain in patients with IBD and IBS-associated SNPs. The results
obtained showed that maximum abdominal pain in UC patients was associated with two IBS-associated
SNPs and that pain levels had a pronounced impact on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in CD but
not in UC. It is the reviewer's opinion that the manuscript is interesting and the results are clear. However,
it appears that there are a couple of concerns in the manuscript.
1) The authors have discussed the limitation of the study; however, scores of abdominal pains distinguish
only four levels of abdominal pain intensity: none, mild, moderate and severe. Furthermore, the degree of
abdominal pain appears to be a subjective parameter. The authors should further discuss the issue.
2) The authors have focused on the maximum abdominal pain in the study. How about the median
abdominal pain in the same examinations? Which parameter is much better, maximum abdominal pain or
median abdominal pain? The authors should discuss the issue.
3) As the authors mentioned in the manuscript, the authors did not use the pain questionnaires. The
objective scores by the pain questionnaires appear to be valuable. The authors should discuss the issue.
4) Full title is "Abdominal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with single
nucleotide polymorphisms prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome". This is only first part of the study. The
last part of the study includes the association between abdominal pain and clinical management of IBD
patients. The authors should reconsider the title.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
No
Does the work include 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 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 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 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 interests' 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 manuscript 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://creativecommons.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 journal
assistant