Reviewer's report
Title:C-reactive protein level at two weeks following initiation of infliximab
induction therapy predicts outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis: A three
year follow-up study.
Version:4Date:13 June 2015
Reviewer: Bella Ungar
Reviewer's report:
The revised manuscript is much better written. The authors addressed one of the
main problems and re-assigned patients to 3 groups more accurately. The
manuscript is now more logically designed and the English is more effluent.
Figures are impressive.
However some revisions are still required in my view:
Introduction lines 71-71 - I agree that most studies dealt with CD, but the data
regarding IFX efficacy in UC is ample and well established. The sentence has to
be amended accordingly.
Results line 154 - you state that median IFX dose was 5.8/mg/kg, while
elsewhere you stated that the standard dose was 5mg/kg. Can you elaborate on
that?
line 155 - you probably meant time to flare-up
I would shorten the second paragraph of the results (starting at line 152 - Table 1
is good enough and the demography is not the main issue of the study)
line 187 - Did you examine the value of albumin as a marker for responders vs
others (you mention only partial responders)
The results regarding proctocolectomy are interesting.
Discussion
lines 205 - 227 - The summary of results in the discussion section should be
brief.
lines 231 - 237 - Your study shows that lower CRP values were associated with
better clinical outcome. You cannot conclude which patients have a TNF
mediated disease based on these findings.
255 264 I believe that the contents of this paragraph should be added to the
methods instead of the discussion
A limitations paragraph should be added to the discussion. Some of the
limitations are the limited sample size (72 patients for the 3 groups), lack of
endoscopic date (sigmoidoscopy is widely used even in acute severe colitis).
Can albumin values be added to table 3?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:C-reactive protein level at two weeks following initiation of infliximab
induction therapy predicts outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis: A three
year follow-up study.
Version:4Date:13 June 2015
Reviewer: Bella Ungar
Reviewer's report:
The revised manuscript is much better written. The authors addressed one of the
main problems and re-assigned patients to 3 groups more accurately. The
manuscript is now more logically designed and the English is more effluent.
Figures are impressive.
However some revisions are still required in my view:
Introduction lines 71-71 - I agree that most studies dealt with CD, but the data
regarding IFX efficacy in UC is ample and well established. The sentence has to
be amended accordingly.
Results line 154 - you state that median IFX dose was 5.8/mg/kg, while
elsewhere you stated that the standard dose was 5mg/kg. Can you elaborate on
that?
line 155 - you probably meant time to flare-up
I would shorten the second paragraph of the results (starting at line 152 - Table 1
is good enough and the demography is not the main issue of the study)
line 187 - Did you examine the value of albumin as a marker for responders vs
others (you mention only partial responders)
The results regarding proctocolectomy are interesting.
Discussion
lines 205 - 227 - The summary of results in the discussion section should be
brief.
lines 231 - 237 - Your study shows that lower CRP values were associated with
better clinical outcome. You cannot conclude which patients have a TNF
mediated disease based on these findings.
255 264 I believe that the contents of this paragraph should be added to the
methods instead of the discussion
A limitations paragraph should be added to the discussion. Some of the
limitations are the limited sample size (72 patients for the 3 groups), lack of
endoscopic date (sigmoidoscopy is widely used even in acute severe colitis).
Can albumin values be added to table 3?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:C-reactive protein level at two weeks following initiation of infliximab
induction therapy predicts outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis: A three
year follow-up study.
Version:4Date:13 June 2015
Reviewer: Bella Ungar
Reviewer's report:
The revised manuscript is much better written. The authors addressed one of the
main problems and re-assigned patients to 3 groups more accurately. The
manuscript is now more logically designed and the English is more effluent.
Figures are impressive.
However some revisions are still required in my view:
Introduction lines 71-71 - I agree that most studies dealt with CD, but the data
regarding IFX efficacy in UC is ample and well established. The sentence has to
be amended accordingly.
Results line 154 - you state that median IFX dose was 5.8/mg/kg, while
elsewhere you stated that the standard dose was 5mg/kg. Can you elaborate on
that?
line 155 - you probably meant time to flare-up
I would shorten the second paragraph of the results (starting at line 152 - Table 1
is good enough and the demography is not the main issue of the study)
line 187 - Did you examine the value of albumin as a marker for responders vs
others (you mention only partial responders)
The results regarding proctocolectomy are interesting.
Discussion
lines 205 - 227 - The summary of results in the discussion section should be
brief.
lines 231 - 237 - Your study shows that lower CRP values were associated with
better clinical outcome. You cannot conclude which patients have a TNF
mediated disease based on these findings.
255 264 I believe that the contents of this paragraph should be added to the
methods instead of the discussion
A limitations paragraph should be added to the discussion. Some of the
limitations are the limited sample size (72 patients for the 3 groups), lack of
endoscopic date (sigmoidoscopy is widely used even in acute severe colitis).
Can albumin values be added to table 3?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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