Reviewer's report
Title:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:3 October 2011
Reviewer: Marina Silveira
Reviewer's report:
Drs. Zhao and Han present an interesting report on the prevelance and clinical
characteristics of patients with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.
The report is concise and well written.
Minor Essential Revisions:
1) Add to table one relevant information with regard to diagnostic criteria of
PBC/AIH overlap syndrome (IgG levels and number of patients in whom those
were available; proportion of patients with diagnostic biopsy features and number
of patients in whom those were available).
Discretionary Revisions:
1) Would suggest including clinical information on treatment and clinical
outcomes in this cohort of patients followed over the course of 5 years, which
would definitely add significance to the work.
3) Recommend a paragraph describing limitations of the study, including
retrospective in nature, and incomplete data relevant to diagnostic criteria (only
89/146 had immunoglobulin assay and 58/146 had liver biopsies; these are two
of three needed tests for the diagnostic criteria applied - Chazouilleres 1998).
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
Reviewer's report
Title:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:3 October 2011
Reviewer: Marina Silveira
Reviewer's report:
Drs. Zhao and Han present an interesting report on the prevelance and clinical
characteristics of patients with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.
The report is concise and well written.
Minor Essential Revisions:
1) Add to table one relevant information with regard to diagnostic criteria of
PBC/AIH overlap syndrome (IgG levels and number of patients in whom those
were available; proportion of patients with diagnostic biopsy features and number
of patients in whom those were available).
Discretionary Revisions:
1) Would suggest including clinical information on treatment and clinical
outcomes in this cohort of patients followed over the course of 5 years, which
would definitely add significance to the work.
3) Recommend a paragraph describing limitations of the study, including
retrospective in nature, and incomplete data relevant to diagnostic criteria (only
89/146 had immunoglobulin assay and 58/146 had liver biopsies; these are two
of three needed tests for the diagnostic criteria applied - Chazouilleres 1998).
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:3 October 2011
Reviewer: Marina Silveira
Reviewer's report:
Drs. Zhao and Han present an interesting report on the prevelance and clinical
characteristics of patients with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.
The report is concise and well written.
Minor Essential Revisions:
1) Add to table one relevant information with regard to diagnostic criteria of
PBC/AIH overlap syndrome (IgG levels and number of patients in whom those
were available; proportion of patients with diagnostic biopsy features and number
of patients in whom those were available).
Discretionary Revisions:
1) Would suggest including clinical information on treatment and clinical
outcomes in this cohort of patients followed over the course of 5 years, which
would definitely add significance to the work.
3) Recommend a paragraph describing limitations of the study, including
retrospective in nature, and incomplete data relevant to diagnostic criteria (only
89/146 had immunoglobulin assay and 58/146 had liver biopsies; these are two
of three needed tests for the diagnostic criteria applied - Chazouilleres 1998).
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests.
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