Reviewer's report 
 Serum leptin concentrations in chronic viral hepatitis: A clinical approach Title: 
 1  8 February 2007 Version: Date: 
 Kazuma Fujimoto Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the major What next?: 
compulsory revisions 
 An article of limited interest Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician. Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
This manuscript summarized a role of insulin and insulin resistance in HBV and HCV chronic hepatitis. 
Number of patients was not enough and results should be summarized separately between HBV and HCV. 
1) Title: This title did not indicate the content of this paper. 
2) Regarding HBV, relationship between serum leptin and clinical significance of lamivudine might be a new 
finding, but number of patients in this paper was not sufficient. More subjects should be evaluated in this 
study. 
3) The effect should be different between females and males in HBV. 4) There are many reports of HCV regarding leptin and insulin resistance. Results should be summarized separately with HBV and HCV. I think results of HCV might be deleted in this paper because genotype of 
HCV and/or age of patients were important factors in addition to leptin. 
5) Abstract, conclusion: Why did they describe relationship between HBV and leptin, although HCV and insulin resistance was summarized? 6) P 6, line 16: Maker of insulin resistance was selected QUICKI and HOMA-IR. Why did they calculate 
using both methods? Results of QUICKI were not indicated in detail. 
7) P8, line 21: HBVe antigen was negative in all HBV subjects. Was there any difference in leptin between 
wild type and mutant type? 
8) P9, line 4: Mild steatosis might be severe steatosis. 
9) P9, line 12: Why was leptin level low in non-cirrhotic females compared to controls? 
10) References: There are many references regarding HCV and insulin resistance. These manuscripts should be cited in discussion. 11) There are many typing errors in this paper. 
Reviewer's report 
 Serum leptin concentrations in chronic viral hepatitis: A clinical approach Title: 
 1  8 February 2007 Version: Date: 
 Kazuma Fujimoto Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the major What next?: 
compulsory revisions 
 An article of limited interest Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician. Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
This manuscript summarized a role of insulin and insulin resistance in HBV and HCV chronic hepatitis. 
Number of patients was not enough and results should be summarized separately between HBV and HCV. 
1) Title: This title did not indicate the content of this paper. 
2) Regarding HBV, relationship between serum leptin and clinical significance of lamivudine might be a new 
finding, but number of patients in this paper was not sufficient. More subjects should be evaluated in this 
study. 
3) The effect should be different between females and males in HBV. 4) There are many reports of HCV regarding leptin and insulin resistance. Results should be summarized separately with HBV and HCV. I think results of HCV might be deleted in this paper because genotype of 
HCV and/or age of patients were important factors in addition to leptin. 
5) Abstract, conclusion: Why did they describe relationship between HBV and leptin, although HCV and insulin resistance was summarized? 6) P 6, line 16: Maker of insulin resistance was selected QUICKI and HOMA-IR. Why did they calculate 
using both methods? Results of QUICKI were not indicated in detail. 
7) P8, line 21: HBVe antigen was negative in all HBV subjects. Was there any difference in leptin between 
wild type and mutant type? 
8) P9, line 4: Mild steatosis might be severe steatosis. 
9) P9, line 12: Why was leptin level low in non-cirrhotic females compared to controls? 
10) References: There are many references regarding HCV and insulin resistance. These manuscripts should be cited in discussion. 11) There are many typing errors in this paper. 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 Serum leptin concentrations in chronic viral hepatitis: A clinical approach Title: 
 1  8 February 2007 Version: Date: 
 Kazuma Fujimoto Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have responded to the major What next?: 
compulsory revisions 
 An article of limited interest Level of interest: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician. Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
This manuscript summarized a role of insulin and insulin resistance in HBV and HCV chronic hepatitis. 
Number of patients was not enough and results should be summarized separately between HBV and HCV. 
1) Title: This title did not indicate the content of this paper. 
2) Regarding HBV, relationship between serum leptin and clinical significance of lamivudine might be a new 
finding, but number of patients in this paper was not sufficient. More subjects should be evaluated in this 
study. 
3) The effect should be different between females and males in HBV. 4) There are many reports of HCV regarding leptin and insulin resistance. Results should be summarized separately with HBV and HCV. I think results of HCV might be deleted in this paper because genotype of 
HCV and/or age of patients were important factors in addition to leptin. 
5) Abstract, conclusion: Why did they describe relationship between HBV and leptin, although HCV and insulin resistance was summarized? 6) P 6, line 16: Maker of insulin resistance was selected QUICKI and HOMA-IR. Why did they calculate 
using both methods? Results of QUICKI were not indicated in detail. 
7) P8, line 21: HBVe antigen was negative in all HBV subjects. Was there any difference in leptin between 
wild type and mutant type? 
8) P9, line 4: Mild steatosis might be severe steatosis. 
9) P9, line 12: Why was leptin level low in non-cirrhotic females compared to controls? 
10) References: There are many references regarding HCV and insulin resistance. These manuscripts should be cited in discussion. 11) There are many typing errors in this paper. 
assistant