Reviewer's report
Title:Imbalance of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) - 1 and - 4
serum levels, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Version: 1Date:7 March 2008
Reviewer: Ioannis Koutroubakis
Reviewer's report:
The authors present an important, nicely conceived and analyzed study. This
paper builds on the current literature documenting the role of tissue inhibitors of
metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in IBD. Only minor changes are needed.
Major Compulsory Revisions:
None
Minor Essential Revisions:
1.TIMPs are important markers of fibrosis. Although the number of CD patients is
rather small for subgroup analysis, the results in relation to the disease type and
especially in stenotic vs non-stenotic disease should be provided in more detail.
2.Possible differences in TIMPs levels between pre-and post-menopausal
women should be examined and reported.
3.Figure 3 could be better depicted using smaller scale since values higher than
10.000 pg/ml are not included.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Imbalance of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) - 1 and - 4
serum levels, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Version: 1Date:7 March 2008
Reviewer: Ioannis Koutroubakis
Reviewer's report:
The authors present an important, nicely conceived and analyzed study. This
paper builds on the current literature documenting the role of tissue inhibitors of
metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in IBD. Only minor changes are needed.
Major Compulsory Revisions:
None
Minor Essential Revisions:
1.TIMPs are important markers of fibrosis. Although the number of CD patients is
rather small for subgroup analysis, the results in relation to the disease type and
especially in stenotic vs non-stenotic disease should be provided in more detail.
2.Possible differences in TIMPs levels between pre-and post-menopausal
women should be examined and reported.
3.Figure 3 could be better depicted using smaller scale since values higher than
10.000 pg/ml are not included.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Imbalance of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) - 1 and - 4
serum levels, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Version: 1Date:7 March 2008
Reviewer: Ioannis Koutroubakis
Reviewer's report:
The authors present an important, nicely conceived and analyzed study. This
paper builds on the current literature documenting the role of tissue inhibitors of
metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in IBD. Only minor changes are needed.
Major Compulsory Revisions:
None
Minor Essential Revisions:
1.TIMPs are important markers of fibrosis. Although the number of CD patients is
rather small for subgroup analysis, the results in relation to the disease type and
especially in stenotic vs non-stenotic disease should be provided in more detail.
2.Possible differences in TIMPs levels between pre-and post-menopausal
women should be examined and reported.
3.Figure 3 could be better depicted using smaller scale since values higher than
10.000 pg/ml are not included.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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