Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Hepatitis C -related cryoglobulinemic neuropathy: potential role of oxcarbazepine for pain  
control  
 
Version: 0 Date: 18 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Giovanni Tarantino  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like congratulate authors on this interesting research.  
 
 
 
Minor but essential points:  
 
To give readers a broader view of the problem, involving therapy of extrahepatic manifestation 
of HCV infe ction, authors should emphasise that the classical antiviral therapy, when protracted,  
has ameliorated also complex features related the immune aspects associated with HCV 
infection, as evident in....Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Jun 19;16(6):14075 -85. Successful a nd Safe Long -
Term Standard Antiviral Therapy in a Patient with "Explosive" Immune Response in Course of 
HCV -Related Liver Cirrhosis.  
 
Some precisations about the side -effects of oxcarbazepine, even though were not found, are  
advisable, such as ....mood dis orders, suicide thoughts, low plasma sodium, etc.  
 
Authors should point out that treated patients gave their oral or written consent when possible.  
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the ma nuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following qu estions:  
 
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 i nterests 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 your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I do not have competing interests.  
 
I agree to the ope n 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 for 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/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded 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: Hepatitis C -related cryoglobulinemic neuropathy: potential role of oxcarbazepine for pain  
control  
 
Version: 0 Date: 18 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Giovanni Tarantino  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like congratulate authors on this interesting research.  
 
 
 
Minor but essential points:  
 
To give readers a broader view of the problem, involving therapy of extrahepatic manifestation 
of HCV infe ction, authors should emphasise that the classical antiviral therapy, when protracted,  
has ameliorated also complex features related the immune aspects associated with HCV 
infection, as evident in....Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Jun 19;16(6):14075 -85. Successful a nd Safe Long -
Term Standard Antiviral Therapy in a Patient with "Explosive" Immune Response in Course of 
HCV -Related Liver Cirrhosis.  
 
Some precisations about the side -effects of oxcarbazepine, even though were not found, are  
advisable, such as ....mood dis orders, suicide thoughts, low plasma sodium, etc.  
 
Authors should point out that treated patients gave their oral or written consent when possible.  
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the ma nuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following qu estions:  
 
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 i nterests 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 your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I do not have competing interests.  
 
I agree to the ope n 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 for 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/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded 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: Hepatitis C -related cryoglobulinemic neuropathy: potential role of oxcarbazepine for pain  
control  
 
Version: 0 Date: 18 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Giovanni Tarantino  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I would like congratulate authors on this interesting research.  
 
 
 
Minor but essential points:  
 
To give readers a broader view of the problem, involving therapy of extrahepatic manifestation 
of HCV infe ction, authors should emphasise that the classical antiviral therapy, when protracted,  
has ameliorated also complex features related the immune aspects associated with HCV 
infection, as evident in....Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Jun 19;16(6):14075 -85. Successful a nd Safe Long -
Term Standard Antiviral Therapy in a Patient with "Explosive" Immune Response in Course of 
HCV -Related Liver Cirrhosis.  
 
Some precisations about the side -effects of oxcarbazepine, even though were not found, are  
advisable, such as ....mood dis orders, suicide thoughts, low plasma sodium, etc.  
 
Authors should point out that treated patients gave their oral or written consent when possible.  
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the ma nuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following qu estions:  
 
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 i nterests 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 your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I do not have competing interests.  
 
I agree to the ope n 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 for 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/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant