Reviewer's report 
 Bone mineral density and cytokine levels during interferon therapy in children with chronic Title: 
hepatitis B: does interferon therapy prevent osteoporosis? 
 1  23 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Birgitta Strandvik Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting paper from a field very little has been published yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
- The authors have two treatment groups, which are not separated and the results between the 
groups can not be compared. This is important since there is a paper, which should be referred to, 
which report differences in BMD between adults with viral hepatitis , treated with only INFalpha or a 
combined therapy with antiviral aget, as in the present paper ( Solis-Herruzo JA et al. J Hepatol 
2000;33:812-7). - The difference between the spine and the femur should be commented on. Would it be due to the 
relative short treatment period of 6 months? or are the difference due to other mechanisms? 
metbolism?? 
- The discussion is too long , especially the discussion about INFalpha´s effect is very repetetive. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
- The pages are not numbered. - 6th paragraph in introduction: "decrease in bone resorption.." should probably be increase in bone 
resorption 
- The patients were 4-15 years old. How can you receive informed consent from a 4 year old? this is 
said to be an exclusion criteria!! You have to modify this. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I have no conflicts of interest related to the issue in this paper or its subject. 
Reviewer's report 
 Bone mineral density and cytokine levels during interferon therapy in children with chronic Title: 
hepatitis B: does interferon therapy prevent osteoporosis? 
 1  23 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Birgitta Strandvik Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting paper from a field very little has been published yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
- The authors have two treatment groups, which are not separated and the results between the 
groups can not be compared. This is important since there is a paper, which should be referred to, 
which report differences in BMD between adults with viral hepatitis , treated with only INFalpha or a 
combined therapy with antiviral aget, as in the present paper ( Solis-Herruzo JA et al. J Hepatol 
2000;33:812-7). - The difference between the spine and the femur should be commented on. Would it be due to the 
relative short treatment period of 6 months? or are the difference due to other mechanisms? 
metbolism?? 
- The discussion is too long , especially the discussion about INFalpha´s effect is very repetetive. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
- The pages are not numbered. - 6th paragraph in introduction: "decrease in bone resorption.." should probably be increase in bone 
resorption 
- The patients were 4-15 years old. How can you receive informed consent from a 4 year old? this is 
said to be an exclusion criteria!! You have to modify this. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I have no conflicts of interest related to the issue in this paper or its subject. 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 Bone mineral density and cytokine levels during interferon therapy in children with chronic Title: 
hepatitis B: does interferon therapy prevent osteoporosis? 
 1  23 March 2005 Version: Date: 
 Birgitta Strandvik Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
This is an interesting paper from a field very little has been published yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can 
be reached) 
- The authors have two treatment groups, which are not separated and the results between the 
groups can not be compared. This is important since there is a paper, which should be referred to, 
which report differences in BMD between adults with viral hepatitis , treated with only INFalpha or a 
combined therapy with antiviral aget, as in the present paper ( Solis-Herruzo JA et al. J Hepatol 
2000;33:812-7). - The difference between the spine and the femur should be commented on. Would it be due to the 
relative short treatment period of 6 months? or are the difference due to other mechanisms? 
metbolism?? 
- The discussion is too long , especially the discussion about INFalpha´s effect is very repetetive. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the 
author can be trusted to correct) 
- The pages are not numbered. - 6th paragraph in introduction: "decrease in bone resorption.." should probably be increase in bone 
resorption 
- The patients were 4-15 years old. How can you receive informed consent from a 4 year old? this is 
said to be an exclusion criteria!! You have to modify this. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the What next?: 
major compulsory revisions 
 An article whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I have no conflicts of interest related to the issue in this paper or its subject. 
assistant