Reviewer's report 
 Epidemiologic study of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Title: 
Karachi, Pakistan 
 3  16 April 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) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
In the discussion authors have confused the whole issue by stating that HBeAg is a test for acute HBV infection. Instead IgM anti HBc is a test for acute HBV hepatitis and though HBeAg is positive 
in acute HBV hepatitis it is used to look for viral replication in acute and chronic HBV hepatitis. 
Anyway the point here is not to bring in the discussion of acute hepatitis but 
What I had asked was to mention as limitation of their study the importance of ALT, anti HBc and 
HBV DNA as markers of occult HBV infection which they have not done in this study. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 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 
 Epidemiologic study of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Title: 
Karachi, Pakistan 
 3  16 April 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) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
In the discussion authors have confused the whole issue by stating that HBeAg is a test for acute HBV infection. Instead IgM anti HBc is a test for acute HBV hepatitis and though HBeAg is positive 
in acute HBV hepatitis it is used to look for viral replication in acute and chronic HBV hepatitis. 
Anyway the point here is not to bring in the discussion of acute hepatitis but 
What I had asked was to mention as limitation of their study the importance of ALT, anti HBc and 
HBV DNA as markers of occult HBV infection which they have not done in this study. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 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 
 Epidemiologic study of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in male volunteer blood donors in Title: 
Karachi, Pakistan 
 3  16 April 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) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
In the discussion authors have confused the whole issue by stating that HBeAg is a test for acute HBV infection. Instead IgM anti HBc is a test for acute HBV hepatitis and though HBeAg is positive 
in acute HBV hepatitis it is used to look for viral replication in acute and chronic HBV hepatitis. 
Anyway the point here is not to bring in the discussion of acute hepatitis but 
What I had asked was to mention as limitation of their study the importance of ALT, anti HBc and 
HBV DNA as markers of occult HBV infection which they have not done in this study. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Accept after minor essential revisions What next?: 
 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