Reviewer's report
Title:Early Life Environment and Natural History of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Version:3Date:29 October 2014
Reviewer: Sunny Hei Wong
Reviewer's report:
This study addresses an important question on the effect of early life exposure
on the course of IBD. The study has a decent study design and methodology,
and the statistical methods are valid. This paper is potentially publishable if the
following questions are addressed.
Minor essential revisions as follows
1. The authors have included several factors like the age of diagnosis, disease
location and perianal involvement as potential confounding factors. Have they
included other known adverse factors, such as steroid use at first presentation,
as a potential confounding factor?
2. The chance of surgery is affected by the duration of disease. This is very
major confounding factor. While the authors have rightly put that in the
regression model, can they provide more details on this factor? What are the the
mean durations and the SD of the two groups (surgery vs no surgery), and are
there significant differences between the groups?
3. The first letter of the italicized bacteria names should be capitalized in lines
208-209.
4. Please provide evidence or reference for the statement "early life exposure
may have greater and more sustained effects on the gut microbiome than
exposures later on in adult life" (line 226-227)
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Early Life Environment and Natural History of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Version:3Date:29 October 2014
Reviewer: Sunny Hei Wong
Reviewer's report:
This study addresses an important question on the effect of early life exposure
on the course of IBD. The study has a decent study design and methodology,
and the statistical methods are valid. This paper is potentially publishable if the
following questions are addressed.
Minor essential revisions as follows
1. The authors have included several factors like the age of diagnosis, disease
location and perianal involvement as potential confounding factors. Have they
included other known adverse factors, such as steroid use at first presentation,
as a potential confounding factor?
2. The chance of surgery is affected by the duration of disease. This is very
major confounding factor. While the authors have rightly put that in the
regression model, can they provide more details on this factor? What are the the
mean durations and the SD of the two groups (surgery vs no surgery), and are
there significant differences between the groups?
3. The first letter of the italicized bacteria names should be capitalized in lines
208-209.
4. Please provide evidence or reference for the statement "early life exposure
may have greater and more sustained effects on the gut microbiome than
exposures later on in adult life" (line 226-227)
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Early Life Environment and Natural History of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Version:3Date:29 October 2014
Reviewer: Sunny Hei Wong
Reviewer's report:
This study addresses an important question on the effect of early life exposure
on the course of IBD. The study has a decent study design and methodology,
and the statistical methods are valid. This paper is potentially publishable if the
following questions are addressed.
Minor essential revisions as follows
1. The authors have included several factors like the age of diagnosis, disease
location and perianal involvement as potential confounding factors. Have they
included other known adverse factors, such as steroid use at first presentation,
as a potential confounding factor?
2. The chance of surgery is affected by the duration of disease. This is very
major confounding factor. While the authors have rightly put that in the
regression model, can they provide more details on this factor? What are the the
mean durations and the SD of the two groups (surgery vs no surgery), and are
there significant differences between the groups?
3. The first letter of the italicized bacteria names should be capitalized in lines
208-209.
4. Please provide evidence or reference for the statement "early life exposure
may have greater and more sustained effects on the gut microbiome than
exposures later on in adult life" (line 226-227)
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
assistant