Reviewer's report
Title:Extent of liver inflammation in predicting response to Interferon alpha &
Ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a cohort study
Version: 2Date:21 September 2011
Reviewer: Toshifumi Hibi
Reviewer's report:
Authors indicated that there was a significant relationship between extent of liver
inflammation and end-of-treatment response (ETR) and that the value of ALT
could predict the extent of liver inflammation and ETR. This manuscript could not
be acceptable without additional revision of some points described below.
Major points
1.They related that high grade inflammation group significantly differed from low
grade inflammation group with respect to liver fibrosis (p<0.01) in the chapter of
“Result” (page 12). Why don’t they add the factor of liver fibrosis stage in the
analysis of relationship between inflammation grade and ETR? This must be
important because it has been reported that fibrosis stage is one of the significant
factors for SVR.
2.They divided the degree of inflammation into two groups, high grade (moderate
or severe inflammation) and low grade (minimal or mild) in the chapter of “study
variables and data management procedures” (page 8). Moreover, they analyzed
the relationship between inflammation grade and ETR in these two groups, and
concluded that the ETR in the group with high grade inflammation was
significantly higher than that in the group with low grade. Why don’t they analysis
the ROC curve for validity of pretreatment ALT between these two groups, that
is, minimal/mild and moderate/severe (Figure 3, 4, and 5)?
3.Even though there are no relationship between inflammation grade and SVR,
they should indicate these results.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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:Extent of liver inflammation in predicting response to Interferon alpha &
Ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a cohort study
Version: 2Date:21 September 2011
Reviewer: Toshifumi Hibi
Reviewer's report:
Authors indicated that there was a significant relationship between extent of liver
inflammation and end-of-treatment response (ETR) and that the value of ALT
could predict the extent of liver inflammation and ETR. This manuscript could not
be acceptable without additional revision of some points described below.
Major points
1.They related that high grade inflammation group significantly differed from low
grade inflammation group with respect to liver fibrosis (p<0.01) in the chapter of
“Result” (page 12). Why don’t they add the factor of liver fibrosis stage in the
analysis of relationship between inflammation grade and ETR? This must be
important because it has been reported that fibrosis stage is one of the significant
factors for SVR.
2.They divided the degree of inflammation into two groups, high grade (moderate
or severe inflammation) and low grade (minimal or mild) in the chapter of “study
variables and data management procedures” (page 8). Moreover, they analyzed
the relationship between inflammation grade and ETR in these two groups, and
concluded that the ETR in the group with high grade inflammation was
significantly higher than that in the group with low grade. Why don’t they analysis
the ROC curve for validity of pretreatment ALT between these two groups, that
is, minimal/mild and moderate/severe (Figure 3, 4, and 5)?
3.Even though there are no relationship between inflammation grade and SVR,
they should indicate these results.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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:Extent of liver inflammation in predicting response to Interferon alpha &
Ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a cohort study
Version: 2Date:21 September 2011
Reviewer: Toshifumi Hibi
Reviewer's report:
Authors indicated that there was a significant relationship between extent of liver
inflammation and end-of-treatment response (ETR) and that the value of ALT
could predict the extent of liver inflammation and ETR. This manuscript could not
be acceptable without additional revision of some points described below.
Major points
1.They related that high grade inflammation group significantly differed from low
grade inflammation group with respect to liver fibrosis (p<0.01) in the chapter of
“Result” (page 12). Why don’t they add the factor of liver fibrosis stage in the
analysis of relationship between inflammation grade and ETR? This must be
important because it has been reported that fibrosis stage is one of the significant
factors for SVR.
2.They divided the degree of inflammation into two groups, high grade (moderate
or severe inflammation) and low grade (minimal or mild) in the chapter of “study
variables and data management procedures” (page 8). Moreover, they analyzed
the relationship between inflammation grade and ETR in these two groups, and
concluded that the ETR in the group with high grade inflammation was
significantly higher than that in the group with low grade. Why don’t they analysis
the ROC curve for validity of pretreatment ALT between these two groups, that
is, minimal/mild and moderate/severe (Figure 3, 4, and 5)?
3.Even though there are no relationship between inflammation grade and SVR,
they should indicate these results.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Acceptable
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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