Reviewer's report
Title:Prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis in adults referring hospital for annual
health check-up in Southern China
Version: 1Date:13 July 2010
Reviewer: Gideon Hirschfield
Reviewer's report:
This is a simple but useful large study of a Chinese population of healthy
individuals seen as part of a routine health check. It provides useful information
demonstrating that likely PBC is as common in China as it is elsewhere.
My concerns should be easy to address.
Major:
What were the rates of Hep B/Hep C in the population as a comparator.
Please draw a figure that shows in a pictorial way the results of screening
sequentially. I think this will make it much clearer to the reader. As it stands it is
quite hard at times to follow all the different permutations.
Please have a section in the Discussion more clearly on the limitations of this
cross-sectional observational study where only a small absolute number of cases
is identified, and little true clinical individual is available.
Minor:
ANA specificity in PBC is not new
Assay properties need better description
Clarify cholestatic biochemistry for diagnosis: as it stands an isolated bilirubin
from Gilberts could meet the criteria for PBC if AMA is present.
Highlight the difference between AMA by immunofluorescence and AMA by
ELISA in terms of disease specificity; interesting that by IF, nearly equal
male:female ratio.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
Have an ongoing academic collaboration with Inova, a company specialising in
autoimmune serological testing.
Reviewer's report
Title:Prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis in adults referring hospital for annual
health check-up in Southern China
Version: 1Date:13 July 2010
Reviewer: Gideon Hirschfield
Reviewer's report:
This is a simple but useful large study of a Chinese population of healthy
individuals seen as part of a routine health check. It provides useful information
demonstrating that likely PBC is as common in China as it is elsewhere.
My concerns should be easy to address.
Major:
What were the rates of Hep B/Hep C in the population as a comparator.
Please draw a figure that shows in a pictorial way the results of screening
sequentially. I think this will make it much clearer to the reader. As it stands it is
quite hard at times to follow all the different permutations.
Please have a section in the Discussion more clearly on the limitations of this
cross-sectional observational study where only a small absolute number of cases
is identified, and little true clinical individual is available.
Minor:
ANA specificity in PBC is not new
Assay properties need better description
Clarify cholestatic biochemistry for diagnosis: as it stands an isolated bilirubin
from Gilberts could meet the criteria for PBC if AMA is present.
Highlight the difference between AMA by immunofluorescence and AMA by
ELISA in terms of disease specificity; interesting that by IF, nearly equal
male:female ratio.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
Have an ongoing academic collaboration with Inova, a company specialising in
autoimmune serological testing.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis in adults referring hospital for annual
health check-up in Southern China
Version: 1Date:13 July 2010
Reviewer: Gideon Hirschfield
Reviewer's report:
This is a simple but useful large study of a Chinese population of healthy
individuals seen as part of a routine health check. It provides useful information
demonstrating that likely PBC is as common in China as it is elsewhere.
My concerns should be easy to address.
Major:
What were the rates of Hep B/Hep C in the population as a comparator.
Please draw a figure that shows in a pictorial way the results of screening
sequentially. I think this will make it much clearer to the reader. As it stands it is
quite hard at times to follow all the different permutations.
Please have a section in the Discussion more clearly on the limitations of this
cross-sectional observational study where only a small absolute number of cases
is identified, and little true clinical individual is available.
Minor:
ANA specificity in PBC is not new
Assay properties need better description
Clarify cholestatic biochemistry for diagnosis: as it stands an isolated bilirubin
from Gilberts could meet the criteria for PBC if AMA is present.
Highlight the difference between AMA by immunofluorescence and AMA by
ELISA in terms of disease specificity; interesting that by IF, nearly equal
male:female ratio.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
Have an ongoing academic collaboration with Inova, a company specialising in
autoimmune serological testing.
assistant