Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: The Magnitude and correlates of Esophageal Varices among newly diagnosed Cirrhotic 
Patients Undergoing Screening Upper Gastrointestinal Endosc ope before incident bleeding in 
North -Western Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: KONSTANTINOS C. THOMOPOULOS  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
In this study the authors try to find predictive factors for the presence of esophageal varices in 
patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Their findings are similar to those presented in 
many others studies in the past from around the world. Howe ver a ideal combination of factors 
with high specificity and sensitivity has not been found yet. Neither in this study.  
 
 
Comments  
 
1. The causes of cirrhosis should be clearly defined.  
 
2. Were there patients with non cirrhotic portal hypertension ;  
 
3. It is not clear which factors are significant in the univariate analysis and which in the 
multivariate analysis. For example age and being married. The statistics should be better defined 
and analysed.  
 
4. The majority of patients had ascites (83.41%), low alb umin levels etc. So the majority suffered 
from decompensated cirrhosis. Only few had compensated cirrhosis. Probably the group of 
patients which was examined was not representative.  
 
5. Child - Pugh score was not examined and analysed.  
 
Are the methods appropriat e and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 draw n adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
 
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 rec ommended, please speci fy 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 complete 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 financial ly from the 
publication of this 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 applying 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 acce pted f or publication, m y 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 included 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: The Magnitude and correlates of Esophageal Varices among newly diagnosed Cirrhotic 
Patients Undergoing Screening Upper Gastrointestinal Endosc ope before incident bleeding in 
North -Western Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: KONSTANTINOS C. THOMOPOULOS  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
In this study the authors try to find predictive factors for the presence of esophageal varices in 
patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Their findings are similar to those presented in 
many others studies in the past from around the world. Howe ver a ideal combination of factors 
with high specificity and sensitivity has not been found yet. Neither in this study.  
 
 
Comments  
 
1. The causes of cirrhosis should be clearly defined.  
 
2. Were there patients with non cirrhotic portal hypertension ;  
 
3. It is not clear which factors are significant in the univariate analysis and which in the 
multivariate analysis. For example age and being married. The statistics should be better defined 
and analysed.  
 
4. The majority of patients had ascites (83.41%), low alb umin levels etc. So the majority suffered 
from decompensated cirrhosis. Only few had compensated cirrhosis. Probably the group of 
patients which was examined was not representative.  
 
5. Child - Pugh score was not examined and analysed.  
 
Are the methods appropriat e and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 draw n adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
 
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 rec ommended, please speci fy 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 complete 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 financial ly from the 
publication of this 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 applying 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 acce pted f or publication, m y 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 included 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: The Magnitude and correlates of Esophageal Varices among newly diagnosed Cirrhotic 
Patients Undergoing Screening Upper Gastrointestinal Endosc ope before incident bleeding in 
North -Western Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: KONSTANTINOS C. THOMOPOULOS  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
In this study the authors try to find predictive factors for the presence of esophageal varices in 
patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Their findings are similar to those presented in 
many others studies in the past from around the world. Howe ver a ideal combination of factors 
with high specificity and sensitivity has not been found yet. Neither in this study.  
 
 
Comments  
 
1. The causes of cirrhosis should be clearly defined.  
 
2. Were there patients with non cirrhotic portal hypertension ;  
 
3. It is not clear which factors are significant in the univariate analysis and which in the 
multivariate analysis. For example age and being married. The statistics should be better defined 
and analysed.  
 
4. The majority of patients had ascites (83.41%), low alb umin levels etc. So the majority suffered 
from decompensated cirrhosis. Only few had compensated cirrhosis. Probably the group of 
patients which was examined was not representative.  
 
5. Child - Pugh score was not examined and analysed.  
 
Are the methods appropriat e and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
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 draw n adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
 
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 rec ommended, please speci fy 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 complete 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 financial ly from the 
publication of this 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 applying 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 acce pted f or publication, m y 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 included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant