Reviewer's report
Title:Long-term efficacy of infliximab for refractory ulcerative colitis: Results from
a single center experience
Version:2Date:12 January 2014
Reviewer: Krisztina Gecse
Reviewer's report:
Major Comments
1. It is methodologically questionable to include the patients in the study who only
received one single dose of anti-TNF and were followed-up for several years to
assess the long-term efficacy of infliximab. Furthermore, more than half of these
patients were “non-responders” to an IFX single dose, thus received tacrolimus
during follow-up and the colectomy-free rate was calculated at 87 months.
Therefore, I would strongly recommend excluding the patients from the study that
received one single those of IFX.
Minor Comments
1. The number of patients included in the study is rather small for a 10-year
period, altogether 31 patients completed induction treatment with IFX. Providing
a sentence about anti-TNF regulations in Japan would be useful.
2. Please provide details about the duration of IFX maintanence treatment and
about the timing of relapse in the 17 responders that received dose
intensification.
3. English language needs refinement, e.g.: colon cancer instead of colitic
cancer; ‘thiopurine agents’ require the use of plural on Page 5; please rephrase
sentence on Page 18, Line 7, etc.
4. Reference list needs refinement, e.g.: Page 4, Line 12, sentence refers to the
ACT trial, which does not match the reference; Page 4, Line 9 reference missing;
etc..
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
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 have receives speakers' honoraria from MSD.
Reviewer's report
Title:Long-term efficacy of infliximab for refractory ulcerative colitis: Results from
a single center experience
Version:2Date:12 January 2014
Reviewer: Krisztina Gecse
Reviewer's report:
Major Comments
1. It is methodologically questionable to include the patients in the study who only
received one single dose of anti-TNF and were followed-up for several years to
assess the long-term efficacy of infliximab. Furthermore, more than half of these
patients were “non-responders” to an IFX single dose, thus received tacrolimus
during follow-up and the colectomy-free rate was calculated at 87 months.
Therefore, I would strongly recommend excluding the patients from the study that
received one single those of IFX.
Minor Comments
1. The number of patients included in the study is rather small for a 10-year
period, altogether 31 patients completed induction treatment with IFX. Providing
a sentence about anti-TNF regulations in Japan would be useful.
2. Please provide details about the duration of IFX maintanence treatment and
about the timing of relapse in the 17 responders that received dose
intensification.
3. English language needs refinement, e.g.: colon cancer instead of colitic
cancer; ‘thiopurine agents’ require the use of plural on Page 5; please rephrase
sentence on Page 18, Line 7, etc.
4. Reference list needs refinement, e.g.: Page 4, Line 12, sentence refers to the
ACT trial, which does not match the reference; Page 4, Line 9 reference missing;
etc..
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
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 have receives speakers' honoraria from MSD.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Long-term efficacy of infliximab for refractory ulcerative colitis: Results from
a single center experience
Version:2Date:12 January 2014
Reviewer: Krisztina Gecse
Reviewer's report:
Major Comments
1. It is methodologically questionable to include the patients in the study who only
received one single dose of anti-TNF and were followed-up for several years to
assess the long-term efficacy of infliximab. Furthermore, more than half of these
patients were “non-responders” to an IFX single dose, thus received tacrolimus
during follow-up and the colectomy-free rate was calculated at 87 months.
Therefore, I would strongly recommend excluding the patients from the study that
received one single those of IFX.
Minor Comments
1. The number of patients included in the study is rather small for a 10-year
period, altogether 31 patients completed induction treatment with IFX. Providing
a sentence about anti-TNF regulations in Japan would be useful.
2. Please provide details about the duration of IFX maintanence treatment and
about the timing of relapse in the 17 responders that received dose
intensification.
3. English language needs refinement, e.g.: colon cancer instead of colitic
cancer; ‘thiopurine agents’ require the use of plural on Page 5; please rephrase
sentence on Page 18, Line 7, etc.
4. Reference list needs refinement, e.g.: Page 4, Line 12, sentence refers to the
ACT trial, which does not match the reference; Page 4, Line 9 reference missing;
etc..
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
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 have receives speakers' honoraria from MSD.
assistant