Reviewer's report
Title:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:14 October 2011
Reviewer: daniela cabibi
Reviewer's report:
The authors studied 146 patients woth overlap syndrome AIH-CBP and found
low incidence of SMA among them.The study is quite important for clinical and
epidemiological informations about Chinese population on this relatively rare and
sometimes under-diagnosed syndrome, the diagnosis of which is still
controversal
Major Compulsory Revisions
1) The criteria of Chazouilleres ( Hepatology 2007) have been reported to be
used for the diagnosis of "ovelap syndrome". At least 2/3 criteria of AIH and at
least 2/3 criteria of CBP are necessary fo AIH-CCBP overlap diagnosis
Nevertheless,in this study, only 58/146 patients underwent liver biopsy. So the
histological criteria are often missing. Moreover, the mean AST- ALT values
reported in this study (2-3XN)are lower than the ones reported as significant for
AIH by Chazouilleres ( about 5XN).
The authors should clarify how many and which criteria were satisfied by each
case to make the diagnosis of " overlap syndrome" (they could report these data
in a table)
2) the authors should make clear the importance , if any, of low SMA incidence
Minor essential revisions
1)The authors should report that in the references n° 22 and 23, tissutal IgM
plasma cells have been studied.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
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:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:14 October 2011
Reviewer: daniela cabibi
Reviewer's report:
The authors studied 146 patients woth overlap syndrome AIH-CBP and found
low incidence of SMA among them.The study is quite important for clinical and
epidemiological informations about Chinese population on this relatively rare and
sometimes under-diagnosed syndrome, the diagnosis of which is still
controversal
Major Compulsory Revisions
1) The criteria of Chazouilleres ( Hepatology 2007) have been reported to be
used for the diagnosis of "ovelap syndrome". At least 2/3 criteria of AIH and at
least 2/3 criteria of CBP are necessary fo AIH-CCBP overlap diagnosis
Nevertheless,in this study, only 58/146 patients underwent liver biopsy. So the
histological criteria are often missing. Moreover, the mean AST- ALT values
reported in this study (2-3XN)are lower than the ones reported as significant for
AIH by Chazouilleres ( about 5XN).
The authors should clarify how many and which criteria were satisfied by each
case to make the diagnosis of " overlap syndrome" (they could report these data
in a table)
2) the authors should make clear the importance , if any, of low SMA incidence
Minor essential revisions
1)The authors should report that in the references n° 22 and 23, tissutal IgM
plasma cells have been studied.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
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:Low incidence of positive smooth muscle antibody in Chinese patients with
autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome
Version: 1Date:14 October 2011
Reviewer: daniela cabibi
Reviewer's report:
The authors studied 146 patients woth overlap syndrome AIH-CBP and found
low incidence of SMA among them.The study is quite important for clinical and
epidemiological informations about Chinese population on this relatively rare and
sometimes under-diagnosed syndrome, the diagnosis of which is still
controversal
Major Compulsory Revisions
1) The criteria of Chazouilleres ( Hepatology 2007) have been reported to be
used for the diagnosis of "ovelap syndrome". At least 2/3 criteria of AIH and at
least 2/3 criteria of CBP are necessary fo AIH-CCBP overlap diagnosis
Nevertheless,in this study, only 58/146 patients underwent liver biopsy. So the
histological criteria are often missing. Moreover, the mean AST- ALT values
reported in this study (2-3XN)are lower than the ones reported as significant for
AIH by Chazouilleres ( about 5XN).
The authors should clarify how many and which criteria were satisfied by each
case to make the diagnosis of " overlap syndrome" (they could report these data
in a table)
2) the authors should make clear the importance , if any, of low SMA incidence
Minor essential revisions
1)The authors should report that in the references n° 22 and 23, tissutal IgM
plasma cells have been studied.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
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'
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