Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Risk factors for hepatic veno -occlusive disease caused by Gynura segetum: a retrospective 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Yanhang  Gao 
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors gave some further answers to the related questions. To be sure, this article 
summarized the case characteristics of HVOD induced by Gynura segetum in detail, and  
provided some useful suggestions on the treatment strategy, which possessed the certain value to 
clinical practice. However, it is inevitable that this study is not enough to be innovative.  
In China, there are many medical institutions where Gynura seget um induced HVOD can be 
diagnosised as a routine disease, not a difficult or rare disease. At the same time, the present 
article refered to "Although hepatic impairment due to conventional pharmaceutical drug use is 
widely acknowledged, the potential hepato toxicity of herbal preparations is underestimated 
because of the public misconception that they are harmless. Importantly, these herbal compounds 
are commonly used for self -medication without supervision. " Can this view induce readers to 
misunderstand Chi nese medicine? Of course, at present, the liver injury caused by traditional 
Chinese medicine occupies a considerable proportion in the drug -induced liver damage, but most 
of them caused by the absence of regular medical treatment, such as the misuse of th e folk 
prescriptions and the so -called "divine prescriptions" and so on. The author is advised to pay 
attention to the fairness of the points raised.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
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 drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an addition al statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Needs some language corrections before being published  
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, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way ga in 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 f uture?  
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 y our 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 understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepte d for publication, my 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.or g/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: Risk factors for hepatic veno -occlusive disease caused by Gynura segetum: a retrospective 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Yanhang  Gao 
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors gave some further answers to the related questions. To be sure, this article 
summarized the case characteristics of HVOD induced by Gynura segetum in detail, and  
provided some useful suggestions on the treatment strategy, which possessed the certain value to 
clinical practice. However, it is inevitable that this study is not enough to be innovative.  
In China, there are many medical institutions where Gynura seget um induced HVOD can be 
diagnosised as a routine disease, not a difficult or rare disease. At the same time, the present 
article refered to "Although hepatic impairment due to conventional pharmaceutical drug use is 
widely acknowledged, the potential hepato toxicity of herbal preparations is underestimated 
because of the public misconception that they are harmless. Importantly, these herbal compounds 
are commonly used for self -medication without supervision. " Can this view induce readers to 
misunderstand Chi nese medicine? Of course, at present, the liver injury caused by traditional 
Chinese medicine occupies a considerable proportion in the drug -induced liver damage, but most 
of them caused by the absence of regular medical treatment, such as the misuse of th e folk 
prescriptions and the so -called "divine prescriptions" and so on. The author is advised to pay 
attention to the fairness of the points raised.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
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 drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an addition al statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Needs some language corrections before being published  
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, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way ga in 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 f uture?  
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 y our 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 understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepte d for publication, my 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.or g/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: Risk factors for hepatic veno -occlusive disease caused by Gynura segetum: a retrospective 
study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 28 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Yanhang  Gao 
 
Reviewer's report:  
The authors gave some further answers to the related questions. To be sure, this article 
summarized the case characteristics of HVOD induced by Gynura segetum in detail, and  
provided some useful suggestions on the treatment strategy, which possessed the certain value to 
clinical practice. However, it is inevitable that this study is not enough to be innovative.  
In China, there are many medical institutions where Gynura seget um induced HVOD can be 
diagnosised as a routine disease, not a difficult or rare disease. At the same time, the present 
article refered to "Although hepatic impairment due to conventional pharmaceutical drug use is 
widely acknowledged, the potential hepato toxicity of herbal preparations is underestimated 
because of the public misconception that they are harmless. Importantly, these herbal compounds 
are commonly used for self -medication without supervision. " Can this view induce readers to 
misunderstand Chi nese medicine? Of course, at present, the liver injury caused by traditional 
Chinese medicine occupies a considerable proportion in the drug -induced liver damage, but most 
of them caused by the absence of regular medical treatment, such as the misuse of th e folk 
prescriptions and the so -called "divine prescriptions" and so on. The author is advised to pay 
attention to the fairness of the points raised.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
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 drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an addition al statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Needs some language corrections before being published  
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, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way ga in 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 f uture?  
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 y our 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 understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepte d for publication, my 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.or g/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