Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Sustained serological and complete response s in HBeAg -Positive Patients treated with  
Peginterferon alfa -2b: a 6 -Year Long -Term Follow -Up of a Multicenter, Randomized, 
Controlled  Trial in China  
 
Version: 2 Date: 21 Sep 2018  
 
Reviewer: Michael Gschwantler  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors have well adressed most issues raised by the reviewers.  
 
 
I have the following comments:  
 
The numbers in the "LTFU" -Section of table 2 do not fit to the numbers given in table 3. For 
example accordi ng to table 2 there were 45 patients with HBe Negativity at LTFU in the low 
dose PEG -group (without additional antiviral treatment) and in table 3 there are 46 patients in the 
low dose PEG group without NA -therapy!  
 
For me the main conclusion of this paper is that there are no clinically relevant differences 
between the three treatment groups during the long -term follow -up.  
 
Honestly, I do not understand the clinical significance of the term "cumulative response rate" in 
the context of the paper. From table 3 it can be seen that the overall complete response rate is far 
below 70% in the high dose 48 weeks group after 6 years - and this is the most significant 
clinical end point.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is re quired in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 req uire further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declarat ion 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  
financially 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 organization 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 the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r 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 will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or 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 under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/l icenses/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: Sustained serological and complete response s in HBeAg -Positive Patients treated with  
Peginterferon alfa -2b: a 6 -Year Long -Term Follow -Up of a Multicenter, Randomized, 
Controlled  Trial in China  
 
Version: 2 Date: 21 Sep 2018  
 
Reviewer: Michael Gschwantler  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors have well adressed most issues raised by the reviewers.  
 
 
I have the following comments:  
 
The numbers in the "LTFU" -Section of table 2 do not fit to the numbers given in table 3. For 
example accordi ng to table 2 there were 45 patients with HBe Negativity at LTFU in the low 
dose PEG -group (without additional antiviral treatment) and in table 3 there are 46 patients in the 
low dose PEG group without NA -therapy!  
 
For me the main conclusion of this paper is that there are no clinically relevant differences 
between the three treatment groups during the long -term follow -up.  
 
Honestly, I do not understand the clinical significance of the term "cumulative response rate" in 
the context of the paper. From table 3 it can be seen that the overall complete response rate is far 
below 70% in the high dose 48 weeks group after 6 years - and this is the most significant 
clinical end point.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is re quired in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 req uire further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declarat ion 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  
financially 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 organization 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 the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r 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 will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or 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 under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/l icenses/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: Sustained serological and complete response s in HBeAg -Positive Patients treated with  
Peginterferon alfa -2b: a 6 -Year Long -Term Follow -Up of a Multicenter, Randomized, 
Controlled  Trial in China  
 
Version: 2 Date: 21 Sep 2018  
 
Reviewer: Michael Gschwantler  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors have well adressed most issues raised by the reviewers.  
 
 
I have the following comments:  
 
The numbers in the "LTFU" -Section of table 2 do not fit to the numbers given in table 3. For 
example accordi ng to table 2 there were 45 patients with HBe Negativity at LTFU in the low 
dose PEG -group (without additional antiviral treatment) and in table 3 there are 46 patients in the 
low dose PEG group without NA -therapy!  
 
For me the main conclusion of this paper is that there are no clinically relevant differences 
between the three treatment groups during the long -term follow -up.  
 
Honestly, I do not understand the clinical significance of the term "cumulative response rate" in 
the context of the paper. From table 3 it can be seen that the overall complete response rate is far 
below 70% in the high dose 48 weeks group after 6 years - and this is the most significant 
clinical end point.  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is re quired in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 req uire further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declarat ion 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  
financially 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 organization 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 the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If you r 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 will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or 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 under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/l icenses/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