Reviewer's report
 Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection among blood donors in southern Brazil: a case-control Title:
study
Authors:
Ajacio BM Brandao (ajacio@via-rs.net )
Sandra C Fuchs (scfuchs@zaz.com.br )
 2  14 Jun 2002 Version: Date:
 Prof Edward Murphy Reviewer:
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research interests Level of interest:
 Accept after discretionary revisions Advice on publication:
All comments compulsory 
Comments to the authors: 
This is a case control study of risk factors for hepatitis C seropositivity among blood donors in southern 
Brazil. Overall, the study is well done. 
Specific comments: 
In the abstract, results, last paragraph: Delete the word aEoestronglyaE; the data reported are at best 
suggestive of sexual transmission. The last paragraph of the results is duplicative of the conclusion paragraph in the abstract. 
Background, first paragraph: Although reference number four may in fact indicate that 20 to 58% of 
patients with HCV have chronic liver disease, this statistic may have been from a hospital based study and may not be applicable to a healthy blood donor population, and the authors should call attention to 
this. In general risks of disease due to HCV have been overestimated in the literature. 
Methods: Was RIBA testing done to confirm hepatitis C seropositivity? If not, did the author have any 
independent data supporting the use of EIAaETMs only. 
Statistical analysis: Although this hierarchical logistic regression approach is interesting, IaETMm 
concerned that the data in Table 2 regarding environmental risk factors for hepatitis C were not adjusted
for injection drug use. 
Results, second paragraph, last sentence: A minor point aEoesince they have never been screenedaE 
is a commentary and should be reserved for the discussion. 
Results, social and sexual behavior, second paragraph: Although the odds ratio for having two to four 
sexually transmitted diseases was 6.2 the confidence intervals on this value are very wide, therefore it 
does not necessarily represent a strong association. 
Discussion, second paragraph: There is a typographical spelling error in the sentence aEoeHVC testaE.
In the last sentence of the same paragraph, the authors state that aEoesince most episodes of hepatitis
C are free of symptomsaE but they also found a significant association with previous jaundice in Table 
3. 
Discussion, paragraph four, second sentence: A language issue; suggest substituting the word 
aEoeplausibleaE for the word aEoeconceivableaE. 
Discussion, last paragraph, last sentence: Suggest substituting the word aEoealthoughaE for the words 
aEoeeven thoughaE. 
Conclusions: First line. A spelling error aEoeanti-VHCaE. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Reviewer's report
 Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection among blood donors in southern Brazil: a case-control Title:
study
Authors:
Ajacio BM Brandao (ajacio@via-rs.net )
Sandra C Fuchs (scfuchs@zaz.com.br )
 2  14 Jun 2002 Version: Date:
 Prof Edward Murphy Reviewer:
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research interests Level of interest:
 Accept after discretionary revisions Advice on publication:
All comments compulsory 
Comments to the authors: 
This is a case control study of risk factors for hepatitis C seropositivity among blood donors in southern 
Brazil. Overall, the study is well done. 
Specific comments: 
In the abstract, results, last paragraph: Delete the word aEoestronglyaE; the data reported are at best 
suggestive of sexual transmission. The last paragraph of the results is duplicative of the conclusion paragraph in the abstract. 
Background, first paragraph: Although reference number four may in fact indicate that 20 to 58% of 
patients with HCV have chronic liver disease, this statistic may have been from a hospital based study and may not be applicable to a healthy blood donor population, and the authors should call attention to 
this. In general risks of disease due to HCV have been overestimated in the literature. 
Methods: Was RIBA testing done to confirm hepatitis C seropositivity? If not, did the author have any 
independent data supporting the use of EIAaETMs only. 
Statistical analysis: Although this hierarchical logistic regression approach is interesting, IaETMm 
concerned that the data in Table 2 regarding environmental risk factors for hepatitis C were not adjusted
for injection drug use. 
Results, second paragraph, last sentence: A minor point aEoesince they have never been screenedaE 
is a commentary and should be reserved for the discussion. 
Results, social and sexual behavior, second paragraph: Although the odds ratio for having two to four 
sexually transmitted diseases was 6.2 the confidence intervals on this value are very wide, therefore it 
does not necessarily represent a strong association. 
Discussion, second paragraph: There is a typographical spelling error in the sentence aEoeHVC testaE.
In the last sentence of the same paragraph, the authors state that aEoesince most episodes of hepatitis
C are free of symptomsaE but they also found a significant association with previous jaundice in Table 
3. 
Discussion, paragraph four, second sentence: A language issue; suggest substituting the word 
aEoeplausibleaE for the word aEoeconceivableaE. 
Discussion, last paragraph, last sentence: Suggest substituting the word aEoealthoughaE for the words 
aEoeeven thoughaE. 
Conclusions: First line. A spelling error aEoeanti-VHCaE. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
 Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection among blood donors in southern Brazil: a case-control Title:
study
Authors:
Ajacio BM Brandao (ajacio@via-rs.net )
Sandra C Fuchs (scfuchs@zaz.com.br )
 2  14 Jun 2002 Version: Date:
 Prof Edward Murphy Reviewer:
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research interests Level of interest:
 Accept after discretionary revisions Advice on publication:
All comments compulsory 
Comments to the authors: 
This is a case control study of risk factors for hepatitis C seropositivity among blood donors in southern 
Brazil. Overall, the study is well done. 
Specific comments: 
In the abstract, results, last paragraph: Delete the word aEoestronglyaE; the data reported are at best 
suggestive of sexual transmission. The last paragraph of the results is duplicative of the conclusion paragraph in the abstract. 
Background, first paragraph: Although reference number four may in fact indicate that 20 to 58% of 
patients with HCV have chronic liver disease, this statistic may have been from a hospital based study and may not be applicable to a healthy blood donor population, and the authors should call attention to 
this. In general risks of disease due to HCV have been overestimated in the literature. 
Methods: Was RIBA testing done to confirm hepatitis C seropositivity? If not, did the author have any 
independent data supporting the use of EIAaETMs only. 
Statistical analysis: Although this hierarchical logistic regression approach is interesting, IaETMm 
concerned that the data in Table 2 regarding environmental risk factors for hepatitis C were not adjusted
for injection drug use. 
Results, second paragraph, last sentence: A minor point aEoesince they have never been screenedaE 
is a commentary and should be reserved for the discussion. 
Results, social and sexual behavior, second paragraph: Although the odds ratio for having two to four 
sexually transmitted diseases was 6.2 the confidence intervals on this value are very wide, therefore it 
does not necessarily represent a strong association. 
Discussion, second paragraph: There is a typographical spelling error in the sentence aEoeHVC testaE.
In the last sentence of the same paragraph, the authors state that aEoesince most episodes of hepatitis
C are free of symptomsaE but they also found a significant association with previous jaundice in Table 
3. 
Discussion, paragraph four, second sentence: A language issue; suggest substituting the word 
aEoeplausibleaE for the word aEoeconceivableaE. 
Discussion, last paragraph, last sentence: Suggest substituting the word aEoealthoughaE for the words 
aEoeeven thoughaE. 
Conclusions: First line. A spelling error aEoeanti-VHCaE. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
assistant