Reviewer's report 
 Hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Karachi, Pakistan Title: 
 1  4 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Ajay Duseja Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
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Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be reached) 
Is this study first of its kind in Pakistan? The authors should do more literature search and should 
discuss other population based or hospital based studies done in Pakistan rather than writing that the figures for HBV infection in Pakistan are not known. Some of the studies are mentioned for their ready reference. 
1.Kakepoto GN, Bhally HS, Khaliq G, Kayani N, Burney IA, Siddiqui T, Khurshid M. Epidemiology of 
blood-borne viruses: a study of healthy blood donors in Southern Pakistan. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1996 Dec;27(4):703-6. 2.Tareen S, Eslick GD, Kam EP, Byles JE, Durrani AB, Maree SM. High prevalence of hepatitis B 
virus (HBV) among male blood donors in a developing country: urgent need for systematic 
screening. Scand J Infect Dis. 2002;34(9):712-3. 3.Khokhar N, Gill ML, Malik GJ. General seroprevalence of hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections in population. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2004 Sep;14(9):534-6. 
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Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 1. In the Background reference 14 for the prevalence of HBV in thalassemia patients is not correct (Ref 14- is regarding healthy blood donors). Similarly reference 19 for HCC patients is incorrect. 
2. In Discussion- While giving reason for difference between two blood banks authors clarify that the 
low prevalence in blood bank I is due to high socioeconomic group and high prevalence in blood 
bank II is due to low socioeconomic status. Why then incidence is increasing in blood bank I and decreasing in blood bank II. 
3. Authos should discuss about the occult HBV infection which may be missed by just doing HBsAg. 
Role of ALT, Anti-HBc and HBV DNA in detecting such patients and the prevalence of occult HBV 
infection amongst healthy blood donors should be mentioned. 4. Discussion can be shortened. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Reviewer's report 
 Hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Karachi, Pakistan Title: 
 1  4 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Ajay Duseja Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be reached) 
Is this study first of its kind in Pakistan? The authors should do more literature search and should 
discuss other population based or hospital based studies done in Pakistan rather than writing that the figures for HBV infection in Pakistan are not known. Some of the studies are mentioned for their ready reference. 
1.Kakepoto GN, Bhally HS, Khaliq G, Kayani N, Burney IA, Siddiqui T, Khurshid M. Epidemiology of 
blood-borne viruses: a study of healthy blood donors in Southern Pakistan. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1996 Dec;27(4):703-6. 2.Tareen S, Eslick GD, Kam EP, Byles JE, Durrani AB, Maree SM. High prevalence of hepatitis B 
virus (HBV) among male blood donors in a developing country: urgent need for systematic 
screening. Scand J Infect Dis. 2002;34(9):712-3. 3.Khokhar N, Gill ML, Malik GJ. General seroprevalence of hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections in population. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2004 Sep;14(9):534-6. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 1. In the Background reference 14 for the prevalence of HBV in thalassemia patients is not correct (Ref 14- is regarding healthy blood donors). Similarly reference 19 for HCC patients is incorrect. 
2. In Discussion- While giving reason for difference between two blood banks authors clarify that the 
low prevalence in blood bank I is due to high socioeconomic group and high prevalence in blood 
bank II is due to low socioeconomic status. Why then incidence is increasing in blood bank I and decreasing in blood bank II. 
3. Authos should discuss about the occult HBV infection which may be missed by just doing HBsAg. 
Role of ALT, Anti-HBc and HBV DNA in detecting such patients and the prevalence of occult HBV 
infection amongst healthy blood donors should be mentioned. 4. Discussion can be shortened. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 Hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Karachi, Pakistan Title: 
 1  4 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Ajay Duseja Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be reached) 
Is this study first of its kind in Pakistan? The authors should do more literature search and should 
discuss other population based or hospital based studies done in Pakistan rather than writing that the figures for HBV infection in Pakistan are not known. Some of the studies are mentioned for their ready reference. 
1.Kakepoto GN, Bhally HS, Khaliq G, Kayani N, Burney IA, Siddiqui T, Khurshid M. Epidemiology of 
blood-borne viruses: a study of healthy blood donors in Southern Pakistan. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1996 Dec;27(4):703-6. 2.Tareen S, Eslick GD, Kam EP, Byles JE, Durrani AB, Maree SM. High prevalence of hepatitis B 
virus (HBV) among male blood donors in a developing country: urgent need for systematic 
screening. Scand J Infect Dis. 2002;34(9):712-3. 3.Khokhar N, Gill ML, Malik GJ. General seroprevalence of hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections in population. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2004 Sep;14(9):534-6. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 1. In the Background reference 14 for the prevalence of HBV in thalassemia patients is not correct (Ref 14- is regarding healthy blood donors). Similarly reference 19 for HCC patients is incorrect. 
2. In Discussion- While giving reason for difference between two blood banks authors clarify that the 
low prevalence in blood bank I is due to high socioeconomic group and high prevalence in blood 
bank II is due to low socioeconomic status. Why then incidence is increasing in blood bank I and decreasing in blood bank II. 
3. Authos should discuss about the occult HBV infection which may be missed by just doing HBsAg. 
Role of ALT, Anti-HBc and HBV DNA in detecting such patients and the prevalence of occult HBV 
infection amongst healthy blood donors should be mentioned. 4. Discussion can be shortened. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 Yes Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
assistant