Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Impact of visceral adiposity on severity of acute pancreatitis: a propensity sco re-matched 
analysis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 26 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Manish Manrai  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
A well written study albeit retrospectiv e. It does reinforce the role of visceral adipose tissue and 
its relation with the severity of pancreatitis. It also provides a platform for prospective study in to 
the role of VAT and VAT/SMT as a predictor of severity and mortality in patients of 
pancrea titis. I do have an suggestion for the authors that if possible whether their data can be 
analysed for BMI along with VAT and VAT/SMT especially in patients with MSAP and SAP. 
The authors have taken a well matched study population which also includes BMI; but it will be 
interesting to see the relation of BMI with their data for VAT and VAT/SMT. BMI is a 
parameter which is easily available without requirement of imaging and a recent meta -analysis 
makes a strong point in favor of Body -mass index correlating with severity and mortality in 
acute pancreatitis (World J Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 14; 25(6): 729 -743.)  
Another issue would be the generality of the findings as mentioned in the limitations, which 
needs to be reproduced in different patient population in t imes to come.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify wh at 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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects requ ire 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 declarat ion of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
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 pat ents 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 interests 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 declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open 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 co mments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included 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: Impact of visceral adiposity on severity of acute pancreatitis: a propensity sco re-matched 
analysis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 26 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Manish Manrai  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
A well written study albeit retrospectiv e. It does reinforce the role of visceral adipose tissue and 
its relation with the severity of pancreatitis. It also provides a platform for prospective study in to 
the role of VAT and VAT/SMT as a predictor of severity and mortality in patients of 
pancrea titis. I do have an suggestion for the authors that if possible whether their data can be 
analysed for BMI along with VAT and VAT/SMT especially in patients with MSAP and SAP. 
The authors have taken a well matched study population which also includes BMI; but it will be 
interesting to see the relation of BMI with their data for VAT and VAT/SMT. BMI is a 
parameter which is easily available without requirement of imaging and a recent meta -analysis 
makes a strong point in favor of Body -mass index correlating with severity and mortality in 
acute pancreatitis (World J Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 14; 25(6): 729 -743.)  
Another issue would be the generality of the findings as mentioned in the limitations, which 
needs to be reproduced in different patient population in t imes to come.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify wh at 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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects requ ire 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 declarat ion of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
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 pat ents 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 interests 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 declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open 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 co mments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included 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: Impact of visceral adiposity on severity of acute pancreatitis: a propensity sco re-matched 
analysis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 26 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Manish Manrai  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
A well written study albeit retrospectiv e. It does reinforce the role of visceral adipose tissue and 
its relation with the severity of pancreatitis. It also provides a platform for prospective study in to 
the role of VAT and VAT/SMT as a predictor of severity and mortality in patients of 
pancrea titis. I do have an suggestion for the authors that if possible whether their data can be 
analysed for BMI along with VAT and VAT/SMT especially in patients with MSAP and SAP. 
The authors have taken a well matched study population which also includes BMI; but it will be 
interesting to see the relation of BMI with their data for VAT and VAT/SMT. BMI is a 
parameter which is easily available without requirement of imaging and a recent meta -analysis 
makes a strong point in favor of Body -mass index correlating with severity and mortality in 
acute pancreatitis (World J Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 14; 25(6): 729 -743.)  
Another issue would be the generality of the findings as mentioned in the limitations, which 
needs to be reproduced in different patient population in t imes to come.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify wh at 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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects requ ire 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 declarat ion of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
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 pat ents 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 interests 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 declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open 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 co mments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant