Reviewer's report
Title:Gastric and intestinal barrier impairment in African adults: a randomised
controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation
Version: 2Date:15 March 2010
Reviewer: john macfie
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written study describing a large prospective trial in African adults.
I have 3 minor points:
1. their measures of intestinal permeability only assess small intestinal (cf
colonic) permeability.They should discuss this in context barrier function and
bacterial translocation. I am not convinced that sugar probe techniques
accurately reflect alterations in barrier function
2. Use of LPS and antibodies as surrogate measures of barrier function should
also be justified intheir discussion (I think it's a sound approach but rationale
needs to be there)
3 I do not think their data permit the conclusion " that bacterial
translocation drives immune activation, but at least in Africa this is probably in
advanced rather than early HIV infection". This is supposition.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Gastric and intestinal barrier impairment in African adults: a randomised
controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation
Version: 2Date:15 March 2010
Reviewer: john macfie
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written study describing a large prospective trial in African adults.
I have 3 minor points:
1. their measures of intestinal permeability only assess small intestinal (cf
colonic) permeability.They should discuss this in context barrier function and
bacterial translocation. I am not convinced that sugar probe techniques
accurately reflect alterations in barrier function
2. Use of LPS and antibodies as surrogate measures of barrier function should
also be justified intheir discussion (I think it's a sound approach but rationale
needs to be there)
3 I do not think their data permit the conclusion " that bacterial
translocation drives immune activation, but at least in Africa this is probably in
advanced rather than early HIV infection". This is supposition.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Gastric and intestinal barrier impairment in African adults: a randomised
controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation
Version: 2Date:15 March 2010
Reviewer: john macfie
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written study describing a large prospective trial in African adults.
I have 3 minor points:
1. their measures of intestinal permeability only assess small intestinal (cf
colonic) permeability.They should discuss this in context barrier function and
bacterial translocation. I am not convinced that sugar probe techniques
accurately reflect alterations in barrier function
2. Use of LPS and antibodies as surrogate measures of barrier function should
also be justified intheir discussion (I think it's a sound approach but rationale
needs to be there)
3 I do not think their data permit the conclusion " that bacterial
translocation drives immune activation, but at least in Africa this is probably in
advanced rather than early HIV infection". This is supposition.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare I have no competing interests
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