Reviewer's report
Title:Clinical Impact of a Gluten-Free Diet on Health-Related Quality of Life in
Fibromyalgia plus Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients with Underlying Celiac
Disease
Version: 2Date:26 June 2013
Reviewer: fabiana zingone
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the effectiveness of the GFD on seven celiac patients with
IBS and fibromyalgia.
The paper is well written and the question posed by the authors well defined.
Among the study population composed of 229 IBS subjects (104 of these with
FMS), identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors
focalise their analysis on the seven patients with celiac disease detected during
the 6 years of the study. No information is reported on the other subjects.
Although the results on the effectiveness of the GFD on the IBS and fibromyalgia
in these celiac patients are statistically significant and relevant from a clinical
point of view, the sample size is too small and has a poor statistical power.
The authors report many findings in the tables and figures, but they do not
efficiently explain them in the result session; some findings are instead reported
in the discussion session.
Major comments:
1. The title should be changed reporting the number of celiac patients
considered: “Clinical Impact…. in seven celiac patients …”;
2. The introduction should focalize more on the celiac disease and on the
previous literature, reporting its association with IBS and fibromyalgia;
3. The methods should contain a better explanation of the tests and scales used
(ie FIQ, HAQ, SF36);
4. Table 1 and 2 should be removed and the results summarized in the text.
Considering the reduced number of patients, the authors could give a detailed
presentation of each of them in terms of symptoms and blood findings;
5. The results session should be improved with a better explanation of Table 3
and of Figures 1 and 2.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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:Clinical Impact of a Gluten-Free Diet on Health-Related Quality of Life in
Fibromyalgia plus Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients with Underlying Celiac
Disease
Version: 2Date:26 June 2013
Reviewer: fabiana zingone
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the effectiveness of the GFD on seven celiac patients with
IBS and fibromyalgia.
The paper is well written and the question posed by the authors well defined.
Among the study population composed of 229 IBS subjects (104 of these with
FMS), identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors
focalise their analysis on the seven patients with celiac disease detected during
the 6 years of the study. No information is reported on the other subjects.
Although the results on the effectiveness of the GFD on the IBS and fibromyalgia
in these celiac patients are statistically significant and relevant from a clinical
point of view, the sample size is too small and has a poor statistical power.
The authors report many findings in the tables and figures, but they do not
efficiently explain them in the result session; some findings are instead reported
in the discussion session.
Major comments:
1. The title should be changed reporting the number of celiac patients
considered: “Clinical Impact…. in seven celiac patients …”;
2. The introduction should focalize more on the celiac disease and on the
previous literature, reporting its association with IBS and fibromyalgia;
3. The methods should contain a better explanation of the tests and scales used
(ie FIQ, HAQ, SF36);
4. Table 1 and 2 should be removed and the results summarized in the text.
Considering the reduced number of patients, the authors could give a detailed
presentation of each of them in terms of symptoms and blood findings;
5. The results session should be improved with a better explanation of Table 3
and of Figures 1 and 2.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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:Clinical Impact of a Gluten-Free Diet on Health-Related Quality of Life in
Fibromyalgia plus Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients with Underlying Celiac
Disease
Version: 2Date:26 June 2013
Reviewer: fabiana zingone
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the effectiveness of the GFD on seven celiac patients with
IBS and fibromyalgia.
The paper is well written and the question posed by the authors well defined.
Among the study population composed of 229 IBS subjects (104 of these with
FMS), identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors
focalise their analysis on the seven patients with celiac disease detected during
the 6 years of the study. No information is reported on the other subjects.
Although the results on the effectiveness of the GFD on the IBS and fibromyalgia
in these celiac patients are statistically significant and relevant from a clinical
point of view, the sample size is too small and has a poor statistical power.
The authors report many findings in the tables and figures, but they do not
efficiently explain them in the result session; some findings are instead reported
in the discussion session.
Major comments:
1. The title should be changed reporting the number of celiac patients
considered: “Clinical Impact…. in seven celiac patients …”;
2. The introduction should focalize more on the celiac disease and on the
previous literature, reporting its association with IBS and fibromyalgia;
3. The methods should contain a better explanation of the tests and scales used
(ie FIQ, HAQ, SF36);
4. Table 1 and 2 should be removed and the results summarized in the text.
Considering the reduced number of patients, the authors could give a detailed
presentation of each of them in terms of symptoms and blood findings;
5. The results session should be improved with a better explanation of Table 3
and of Figures 1 and 2.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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
assistant