Reviewer's report
Title:Risk factors associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis in Taiwan: a
population-based study
Version: 1Date:16 June 2011
Reviewer: Claudio Tiribelli
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
This is an interesting paper analyzing the risk factors of gallstones in a large
series of the Taiwanese population. The methodology is solid and the results are
consistent and in line with previous reports in Western countries. The novelty of
these results is that they originate from the South east Asia. The risk factors
found were essentially the same found in Western series with chronic liver
diseases (both chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis) being the most important. The
relative small role on DMT2 is somehow surprising and needs to be better
stressed in the discussion. Another limitation is that the study did not allow to
have hints on the gallstone composition which is more frequently related to
calcium bilirubinate in Asia. Was the population checked for signs of
hyperhemolysis (lower Hb content) in gallstone series’ This needs to be al least
mentioned.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
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:Risk factors associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis in Taiwan: a
population-based study
Version: 1Date:16 June 2011
Reviewer: Claudio Tiribelli
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
This is an interesting paper analyzing the risk factors of gallstones in a large
series of the Taiwanese population. The methodology is solid and the results are
consistent and in line with previous reports in Western countries. The novelty of
these results is that they originate from the South east Asia. The risk factors
found were essentially the same found in Western series with chronic liver
diseases (both chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis) being the most important. The
relative small role on DMT2 is somehow surprising and needs to be better
stressed in the discussion. Another limitation is that the study did not allow to
have hints on the gallstone composition which is more frequently related to
calcium bilirubinate in Asia. Was the population checked for signs of
hyperhemolysis (lower Hb content) in gallstone series’ This needs to be al least
mentioned.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
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:Risk factors associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis in Taiwan: a
population-based study
Version: 1Date:16 June 2011
Reviewer: Claudio Tiribelli
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
This is an interesting paper analyzing the risk factors of gallstones in a large
series of the Taiwanese population. The methodology is solid and the results are
consistent and in line with previous reports in Western countries. The novelty of
these results is that they originate from the South east Asia. The risk factors
found were essentially the same found in Western series with chronic liver
diseases (both chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis) being the most important. The
relative small role on DMT2 is somehow surprising and needs to be better
stressed in the discussion. Another limitation is that the study did not allow to
have hints on the gallstone composition which is more frequently related to
calcium bilirubinate in Asia. Was the population checked for signs of
hyperhemolysis (lower Hb content) in gallstone series’ This needs to be al least
mentioned.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
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.
assistant