Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Accuracy of M2BPGi, compared with Fibro Scan®, in analysis of liver fibrosis in patients 
with hepatitis C  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Alisan Kahraman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors may adress the following concerns:  
1. Please shorten the Introduction part.  
It is not necessary to decribe FibroScan and its mechanism in detail.  
 
2. Most of the HCV -infected patients were treated with interferone and ribavirin.  
Were none of the patients treated with the new generation of D AA ?  
These drugs are available since 2014.  
 
3. Is graduation of FibroScan and its correlation with histology correct ?  
Values used by the authors seem to be very high ! Please check.  
 
4. Reference 4 and 24 are the same references. Please check the referenc es. 
 
5. The authors should implicate and cite the recently published manuscript by O.Anastasiou 
entitled: Performance and utility of transient elastography and non -invasive markers of liver 
fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis: a single centre ex perience.  
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  
financi ally 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 organiz ation 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 th e 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 wil l 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 und er 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: Accuracy of M2BPGi, compared with Fibro Scan®, in analysis of liver fibrosis in patients 
with hepatitis C  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Alisan Kahraman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors may adress the following concerns:  
1. Please shorten the Introduction part.  
It is not necessary to decribe FibroScan and its mechanism in detail.  
 
2. Most of the HCV -infected patients were treated with interferone and ribavirin.  
Were none of the patients treated with the new generation of D AA ?  
These drugs are available since 2014.  
 
3. Is graduation of FibroScan and its correlation with histology correct ?  
Values used by the authors seem to be very high ! Please check.  
 
4. Reference 4 and 24 are the same references. Please check the referenc es. 
 
5. The authors should implicate and cite the recently published manuscript by O.Anastasiou 
entitled: Performance and utility of transient elastography and non -invasive markers of liver 
fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis: a single centre ex perience.  
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  
financi ally 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 organiz ation 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 th e 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 wil l 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 und er 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: Accuracy of M2BPGi, compared with Fibro Scan®, in analysis of liver fibrosis in patients 
with hepatitis C  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Alisan Kahraman  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors may adress the following concerns:  
1. Please shorten the Introduction part.  
It is not necessary to decribe FibroScan and its mechanism in detail.  
 
2. Most of the HCV -infected patients were treated with interferone and ribavirin.  
Were none of the patients treated with the new generation of D AA ?  
These drugs are available since 2014.  
 
3. Is graduation of FibroScan and its correlation with histology correct ?  
Values used by the authors seem to be very high ! Please check.  
 
4. Reference 4 and 24 are the same references. Please check the referenc es. 
 
5. The authors should implicate and cite the recently published manuscript by O.Anastasiou 
entitled: Performance and utility of transient elastography and non -invasive markers of liver 
fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis: a single centre ex perience.  
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  
financi ally 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 organiz ation 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 th e 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 wil l 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 und er 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