Reviewer's report
Title:The effects of thiopurine therapy on health-related quality of life in
Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients
Version: 1Date:1 May 2009
Reviewer: Lloyd Sutherland
Reviewer's report:
Minor typos Page 2 para 1 Line 1 The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD)
Crohn’s disease
The author reports the results of their study of 82 IBD patients who were on
azahtioprine for 12 months. Patients took azathioprine for a variety of indications
(mainly maintenance of IBD) and their response was measured by changes in a
variety of measures both disease specific *(IBDQ) and general (SF-36). They
found that most patients had an improvement in their indices which they consider
to be the effect of the azathioprine.
Minor comments
A typo Line I para 1 (Background
The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD) Crohn’s disease
Should be consistent with spelling of cyclosporine or cyclosporin
Only a few patients with UC were taking oral mesalamine; was that because the
topical group were mainly mesalamine as well.
Important points
Excuse my ignorance but is your unit the only unit interested in IBD in Valencia?
Is there any evidence of a referral bias,
Why were pts who started thioprurine excluded from entering the study.
What percentage of the clinic population (92) entered the study, how many
declined to participate
Why did patients withdraw from the study?
Does the 10 patients who withdrew from the study by 12 months include the 5
who withdrew by month \
Could the authors provide additional data regarding the impact on the conclusion
that the patients with UC had lower indices than the CD patients. Since some of
the CD patientswho were receiving azathoprine had few symptoms and the UC
patients had greater disease and more symptoms. This might bias the findings.
The discussion could be reduced by 25%
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
NO
Reviewer's report
Title:The effects of thiopurine therapy on health-related quality of life in
Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients
Version: 1Date:1 May 2009
Reviewer: Lloyd Sutherland
Reviewer's report:
Minor typos Page 2 para 1 Line 1 The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD)
Crohn’s disease
The author reports the results of their study of 82 IBD patients who were on
azahtioprine for 12 months. Patients took azathioprine for a variety of indications
(mainly maintenance of IBD) and their response was measured by changes in a
variety of measures both disease specific *(IBDQ) and general (SF-36). They
found that most patients had an improvement in their indices which they consider
to be the effect of the azathioprine.
Minor comments
A typo Line I para 1 (Background
The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD) Crohn’s disease
Should be consistent with spelling of cyclosporine or cyclosporin
Only a few patients with UC were taking oral mesalamine; was that because the
topical group were mainly mesalamine as well.
Important points
Excuse my ignorance but is your unit the only unit interested in IBD in Valencia?
Is there any evidence of a referral bias,
Why were pts who started thioprurine excluded from entering the study.
What percentage of the clinic population (92) entered the study, how many
declined to participate
Why did patients withdraw from the study?
Does the 10 patients who withdrew from the study by 12 months include the 5
who withdrew by month \
Could the authors provide additional data regarding the impact on the conclusion
that the patients with UC had lower indices than the CD patients. Since some of
the CD patientswho were receiving azathoprine had few symptoms and the UC
patients had greater disease and more symptoms. This might bias the findings.
The discussion could be reduced by 25%
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
NO
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:The effects of thiopurine therapy on health-related quality of life in
Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients
Version: 1Date:1 May 2009
Reviewer: Lloyd Sutherland
Reviewer's report:
Minor typos Page 2 para 1 Line 1 The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD)
Crohn’s disease
The author reports the results of their study of 82 IBD patients who were on
azahtioprine for 12 months. Patients took azathioprine for a variety of indications
(mainly maintenance of IBD) and their response was measured by changes in a
variety of measures both disease specific *(IBDQ) and general (SF-36). They
found that most patients had an improvement in their indices which they consider
to be the effect of the azathioprine.
Minor comments
A typo Line I para 1 (Background
The inflammatory bowel disease s(IBD) Crohn’s disease
Should be consistent with spelling of cyclosporine or cyclosporin
Only a few patients with UC were taking oral mesalamine; was that because the
topical group were mainly mesalamine as well.
Important points
Excuse my ignorance but is your unit the only unit interested in IBD in Valencia?
Is there any evidence of a referral bias,
Why were pts who started thioprurine excluded from entering the study.
What percentage of the clinic population (92) entered the study, how many
declined to participate
Why did patients withdraw from the study?
Does the 10 patients who withdrew from the study by 12 months include the 5
who withdrew by month \
Could the authors provide additional data regarding the impact on the conclusion
that the patients with UC had lower indices than the CD patients. Since some of
the CD patientswho were receiving azathoprine had few symptoms and the UC
patients had greater disease and more symptoms. This might bias the findings.
The discussion could be reduced by 25%
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
NO
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