Title: Prediction of long-term remission in patients following discontinuation of anti-TNF
therapy in ulcerative colitis - a 10 year follow up study
Version: 3 Date: 22 Jun 2022
Reviewer's report:
The paper requires language revision.
Introduction:
The sentence:
-Biological therapies for UC, including anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF),  Vedolizumab,
Ustekinumab and Tofacitinib, have shown high efficacy in achieving disease remission- after
12 months.
In the reference session, you cite only studies on Infliximab and vedolizumab, but as you know
adalimumab and golimumab are also approved for UC. Moreover, you named ustekinumab and
tofacitinib and this last is not a biological drug, but a small molecule.
- However, relapses in UC on biological maintenance therapy have been reported to be in the
range of 15 to 20% annually.
Do you mean loss of response?
I do not understand:
We have previously …..15 Your group? Later on, you write…  Our group reported similar results
in Crohn’s disease
After discontinuation mucosal TNF mRNA normalization…maybe it ‘s better normal value
What do you mean for “nearly cured”? It’ s a weird expression
Methods:
In the first report of clinical outcomes in UC patients following this algorithm, obtained between
October 2004 and June 2013, 116 patients were included Rephrase and shorten this sentence
The patient (THE PATIENTS) included and follow-up are described in figure 1
LTR means????? Longterm remission, but it’ s not reported the extensive definition
The LTR group is a new clinical phenotype seemingly cured of the disease. Remove this
sentence!!!It is a comment, not in the methods section
Was your definition of clinical remission steroid-free? You should specify it
A control group was included. In the first part of methods you should clarify the design of the
study.
Results
In the previous described subgroup LTR, 16 patients did not receive any medication except per
oral 5ASA in most cases.
The sentence is vague, refer to the figure and stop!
Is there any difference between the time to relapse among groups?
A graph could be useful to explain the results of cytokines essay.
Did you perform univariate analysis? You should include the results.
Discussion
You should shorten it and focus on main results.
Title: Prediction of long-term remission in patients following discontinuation of anti-TNF
therapy in ulcerative colitis - a 10 year follow up study
Version: 3 Date: 22 Jun 2022
Reviewer's report:
The paper requires language revision.
Introduction:
The sentence:
-Biological therapies for UC, including anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF),  Vedolizumab,
Ustekinumab and Tofacitinib, have shown high efficacy in achieving disease remission- after
12 months.
In the reference session, you cite only studies on Infliximab and vedolizumab, but as you know
adalimumab and golimumab are also approved for UC. Moreover, you named ustekinumab and
tofacitinib and this last is not a biological drug, but a small molecule.
- However, relapses in UC on biological maintenance therapy have been reported to be in the
range of 15 to 20% annually.
Do you mean loss of response?
I do not understand:
We have previously …..15 Your group? Later on, you write…  Our group reported similar results
in Crohn’s disease
After discontinuation mucosal TNF mRNA normalization…maybe it ‘s better normal value
What do you mean for “nearly cured”? It’ s a weird expression
Methods:
In the first report of clinical outcomes in UC patients following this algorithm, obtained between
October 2004 and June 2013, 116 patients were included Rephrase and shorten this sentence
The patient (THE PATIENTS) included and follow-up are described in figure 1
LTR means????? Longterm remission, but it’ s not reported the extensive definition
The LTR group is a new clinical phenotype seemingly cured of the disease. Remove this
sentence!!!It is a comment, not in the methods section
Was your definition of clinical remission steroid-free? You should specify it
A control group was included. In the first part of methods you should clarify the design of the
study.
Results
In the previous described subgroup LTR, 16 patients did not receive any medication except per
oral 5ASA in most cases.
The sentence is vague, refer to the figure and stop!
Is there any difference between the time to relapse among groups?
A graph could be useful to explain the results of cytokines essay.
Did you perform univariate analysis? You should include the results.
Discussion
You should shorten it and focus on main results.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Prediction of long-term remission in patients following discontinuation of anti-TNF
therapy in ulcerative colitis - a 10 year follow up study
Version: 3 Date: 22 Jun 2022
Reviewer's report:
The paper requires language revision.
Introduction:
The sentence:
-Biological therapies for UC, including anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF),  Vedolizumab,
Ustekinumab and Tofacitinib, have shown high efficacy in achieving disease remission- after
12 months.
In the reference session, you cite only studies on Infliximab and vedolizumab, but as you know
adalimumab and golimumab are also approved for UC. Moreover, you named ustekinumab and
tofacitinib and this last is not a biological drug, but a small molecule.
- However, relapses in UC on biological maintenance therapy have been reported to be in the
range of 15 to 20% annually.
Do you mean loss of response?
I do not understand:
We have previously …..15 Your group? Later on, you write…  Our group reported similar results
in Crohn’s disease
After discontinuation mucosal TNF mRNA normalization…maybe it ‘s better normal value
What do you mean for “nearly cured”? It’ s a weird expression
Methods:
In the first report of clinical outcomes in UC patients following this algorithm, obtained between
October 2004 and June 2013, 116 patients were included Rephrase and shorten this sentence
The patient (THE PATIENTS) included and follow-up are described in figure 1
LTR means????? Longterm remission, but it’ s not reported the extensive definition
The LTR group is a new clinical phenotype seemingly cured of the disease. Remove this
sentence!!!It is a comment, not in the methods section
Was your definition of clinical remission steroid-free? You should specify it
A control group was included. In the first part of methods you should clarify the design of the
study.
Results
In the previous described subgroup LTR, 16 patients did not receive any medication except per
oral 5ASA in most cases.
The sentence is vague, refer to the figure and stop!
Is there any difference between the time to relapse among groups?
A graph could be useful to explain the results of cytokines essay.
Did you perform univariate analysis? You should include the results.
Discussion
You should shorten it and focus on main results.
assistant