Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction (immu nosenescence) among 
HIVinfected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An observational cross -sectional 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 03 Nov 2019  
 
Reviewer: Zhou Zhou  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The current version of "Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction 
(immunosenescence) among HIV -infected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An 
observational cross -sectional study" answered the previous major concerns sufficiently. Here 
are so me more minor concerns to be addressed:  
 
1. According to the flow cytometry strategy in the "Method" section, the authors did not use 
CD3 or any other method to gate T cells before gating out CD4 and CD8 T cells. Nor did the 
authors use any marker to gate o ut NKT cells. Given the authors are analyzing the HIV 
patients, the contaminating cells, including NKT cells and DCs among others, may have an 
in-negligible impact on the results. Moreover, the authors did not analyze cell concentration, 
but only cell perc entage in the results. Cell concentration itself may have major impact to the 
outcome of liver fibrosis and the authors may have a different conclusion if cell concentration 
is analyzed. The authors should describe these method limitations in the manuscrip t.  
 
2. The authors should include the explanation of log -transformed and back -transformed 
results in the manuscript.  
 
3. The authors should point out that the race and ethnicity of the subjects in this study, even 
though they are possibly all Caucasian, for  the convenience of the possible future meta -
analysis.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what 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 supporte d by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please spe cify what aspects require 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 comp lete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or 
salary from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from 
the publication of t his manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 apply ing for any patents  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 understan d that my name will be 
included on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publicatio n, 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 comments which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded 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: Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction (immu nosenescence) among 
HIVinfected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An observational cross -sectional 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 03 Nov 2019  
 
Reviewer: Zhou Zhou  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The current version of "Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction 
(immunosenescence) among HIV -infected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An 
observational cross -sectional study" answered the previous major concerns sufficiently. Here 
are so me more minor concerns to be addressed:  
 
1. According to the flow cytometry strategy in the "Method" section, the authors did not use 
CD3 or any other method to gate T cells before gating out CD4 and CD8 T cells. Nor did the 
authors use any marker to gate o ut NKT cells. Given the authors are analyzing the HIV 
patients, the contaminating cells, including NKT cells and DCs among others, may have an 
in-negligible impact on the results. Moreover, the authors did not analyze cell concentration, 
but only cell perc entage in the results. Cell concentration itself may have major impact to the 
outcome of liver fibrosis and the authors may have a different conclusion if cell concentration 
is analyzed. The authors should describe these method limitations in the manuscrip t.  
 
2. The authors should include the explanation of log -transformed and back -transformed 
results in the manuscript.  
 
3. The authors should point out that the race and ethnicity of the subjects in this study, even 
though they are possibly all Caucasian, for  the convenience of the possible future meta -
analysis.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what 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 supporte d by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please spe cify what aspects require 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 comp lete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or 
salary from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from 
the publication of t his manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 apply ing for any patents  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 understan d that my name will be 
included on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publicatio n, 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 comments which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded 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: Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction (immu nosenescence) among 
HIVinfected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An observational cross -sectional 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 03 Nov 2019  
 
Reviewer: Zhou Zhou  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The current version of "Liver fibrosis and accelerated immune dysfunction 
(immunosenescence) among HIV -infected Russians with heavy alcohol consumption - An 
observational cross -sectional study" answered the previous major concerns sufficiently. Here 
are so me more minor concerns to be addressed:  
 
1. According to the flow cytometry strategy in the "Method" section, the authors did not use 
CD3 or any other method to gate T cells before gating out CD4 and CD8 T cells. Nor did the 
authors use any marker to gate o ut NKT cells. Given the authors are analyzing the HIV 
patients, the contaminating cells, including NKT cells and DCs among others, may have an 
in-negligible impact on the results. Moreover, the authors did not analyze cell concentration, 
but only cell perc entage in the results. Cell concentration itself may have major impact to the 
outcome of liver fibrosis and the authors may have a different conclusion if cell concentration 
is analyzed. The authors should describe these method limitations in the manuscrip t.  
 
2. The authors should include the explanation of log -transformed and back -transformed 
results in the manuscript.  
 
3. The authors should point out that the race and ethnicity of the subjects in this study, even 
though they are possibly all Caucasian, for  the convenience of the possible future meta -
analysis.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what 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 supporte d by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please spe cify what aspects require 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 comp lete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or 
salary from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from 
the publication of t his manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 apply ing for any patents  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 understan d that my name will be 
included on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publicatio n, 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 comments which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as 
confidential comments to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant