Reviewer's report
Title:A retrospective case-control study of hepatitis C virus infection and oral
lichen planus in Japan: association with mutations in the core and NS5A region
of hepatitis C virus
Version: 2Date:3 February 2012
Reviewer: Shinichi Imafuku
Reviewer's report:
This paper describes the prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with oral lichen
planus and patients without oral mucosal diseases, and higher anti-HCV and
HCV- RNA are strongly related to oral lichen planus.
Authors also investigated the IFN-sensitivity–determining region (ISDR) of
nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of infected HCV, and found no relevance
between oral LP and a specific mutation. The conclusion drew here was the
same as previously reported with higher risk ratio, but the study revealed more
detailed risks.
A minor essential point
The selected controls are people without ANY oral disease from a different
population with obvious difference in age. Authors should clarify why this control
is selected.
If the authors are to find the prevalence of HCV in LP patients, the control should
be better in age and sex matched non-LP (including other oral diseases)
patients.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:A retrospective case-control study of hepatitis C virus infection and oral
lichen planus in Japan: association with mutations in the core and NS5A region
of hepatitis C virus
Version: 2Date:3 February 2012
Reviewer: Shinichi Imafuku
Reviewer's report:
This paper describes the prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with oral lichen
planus and patients without oral mucosal diseases, and higher anti-HCV and
HCV- RNA are strongly related to oral lichen planus.
Authors also investigated the IFN-sensitivity–determining region (ISDR) of
nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of infected HCV, and found no relevance
between oral LP and a specific mutation. The conclusion drew here was the
same as previously reported with higher risk ratio, but the study revealed more
detailed risks.
A minor essential point
The selected controls are people without ANY oral disease from a different
population with obvious difference in age. Authors should clarify why this control
is selected.
If the authors are to find the prevalence of HCV in LP patients, the control should
be better in age and sex matched non-LP (including other oral diseases)
patients.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:A retrospective case-control study of hepatitis C virus infection and oral
lichen planus in Japan: association with mutations in the core and NS5A region
of hepatitis C virus
Version: 2Date:3 February 2012
Reviewer: Shinichi Imafuku
Reviewer's report:
This paper describes the prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with oral lichen
planus and patients without oral mucosal diseases, and higher anti-HCV and
HCV- RNA are strongly related to oral lichen planus.
Authors also investigated the IFN-sensitivity–determining region (ISDR) of
nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of infected HCV, and found no relevance
between oral LP and a specific mutation. The conclusion drew here was the
same as previously reported with higher risk ratio, but the study revealed more
detailed risks.
A minor essential point
The selected controls are people without ANY oral disease from a different
population with obvious difference in age. Authors should clarify why this control
is selected.
If the authors are to find the prevalence of HCV in LP patients, the control should
be better in age and sex matched non-LP (including other oral diseases)
patients.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
assistant