JerMa88/BMC_Gastroenterology_Peer_Reviews huggingface dataset:
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02871-8 (2023)

Title: Retrospective Analysis of Vertical Hepatitis C Exposure and Infection in Children in
Western New York
Version: 2 Date: 04 Feb 2023
Reviewer's report:
Dieye et al. submit a paper describing a retrospective study evaluating HCV testing and positivity
rates among infants born to mothers with HCV in Western NY. The manuscript is over well
written but the following points should be addressed before consideration for publication:
1. The protocol for the study is not entirely clear - obviously most of the data is from after 2019
when the screening program was implemented - not sure why data from prior to 2019 needs to
be included. Were the exposed infants prior to 2019 not tested at all? Or were they just tested at
other sites (before the program directing them to Buffalo for testing was developed). It would
make sense to just focus on 2019 and after, unless the details of the cohort prior to 2019 are
more clearly defined
2. The abstract should include % tested by HCV AB vs. PCR and timing of testing
3. Unclear finding of why testing was more likely to happen when accompanied by a
nonbiological mother - this should be explored in the discussion
4. First paragraph of background is too general - if study is focused on NY no need to discuss
the HCV global epidemiology.
5. The screening program needs to be described better - which providers were encouraged to refer
infants for testing? OB/Gyns? Primary providers? how was this done? Did they have specific
contacts for pediatric practitioners to convey maternal HCV status?
6. It would be helpful to know how many HCV positive pregnancies there were total compared
to how many infants were actually referred for testing (i.e. how well did the screening program
work to capture all infants for testing)
7. There needs to be more data on timing of testing - what infant ages was PCR performed?
HOw about HCV AB?
8. Not sure that in the discussion you can conclude that the screening program worked unless
you have a known increased proportion of hcv exposed infants tested compared to prior
implementation - this data is not presented in the paper
9. Would be helpful to know why Western NY is an important site to evaluate HCV screening
- what is the overall prevalence/ recent epidemiology of HCV in this region?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02865-6 (2023)

Title: MANY PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH GASTROPARESIS DO NOT RECEIVE
DIETARY EDUCATION
Version: 3 Date: 19 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
The article is well written and outlines the importance issue of suboptimal gastroparesis dietary
education for children and their families.
Two main comments should be addressed:
1. Line 174-176 outlines the percentage delay in gastric emptying. What is that delay referring
to? Is that percentage based upon gastric emptying assessed at a particular time point?
2. The study notes that patients receiving partial tube feeding were less likely to receive
dietary education. This could be because the patients were already managed by dietitians in the
community with respect to their enteral feeding. Is their any data that can be found e.g. from
their medical records to show that they are looked after by dietitians in the community? This is
an important point because it would otherwise imply that those children on enteral feeding (and
their families) are not being provided dietary education which would be an unusual situation
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02865-6 (2023)

Title: MANY PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH GASTROPARESIS DO NOT RECEIVE
DIETARY EDUCATION
Version: 3 Date: 27 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for requesting a review for this manuscript. Apologies for delays on my part.
Overall, I found this an easy to read and understand manuscript. Well presented, and thoughtfully
laid out.
Lines 215-219, 293 - 301 I have a comment about the outcome measures, though I suspect the
retrospective methods restricted your options. BMI is one of your main outcome measures, but
very few of your patients had weight loss or failure to thrive. It would have been more helpful to
see how the dietary advice impacted the 2 pain reported symptoms of pain followed by nausea
and vomiting. Was this data not available in the records?
Lines 235 - 237 You have not been able to demonstrate that choice of foods and food types
improved symptoms. Avoiding medication is definitely a positive step, and autonomy should
be strongly encouraged. But a little more evidence to inform their choices is required.
Lines 194-198 You were able to compare the BMI between those who had dietary education
and those who did not. Could you also compare the BMI of those given medication first versus
dietary advice first? Or even better, the reported symptoms between these groups?
Lines 288-292 I agree with this discussion point. It is likely that the patients on tube feeding
have advanced to that level of intervention because dietary alteration, education and simple
medications failed. Reviewing and documenting that patient journey would make another
interesting read!
I like this article and realise that my comments reflect that you have got me thinking. Please
consider these comments, but I would be quite content to see it in print without edits.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02744-0 (2023)

Title: Neutrophil extracellular traps predict postoperative pulmonary complications in paediatric
patients undergoing parental liver transplantation
Version: 1 Date: 18 Jul 2022
Reviewer:  Takashi Matsusaki
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript was a prospective observational study in a single academic center regarding the
postoperative pulmonary complication after parental liver transplantation. This study was quite
interesting for future research. I have some question.
1. Their sample size was too small for their conclusion compare to other papers.
2. 47% of PPC was a little high compared to other reports. I feel their definition of PPC was so
different among other reports. How did they decide the definition of “PPC”?
3. I felt that there were a lot of factors regarding postoperative PPC such as preoperative factors
including massive ascites and intraoperative factors of transfusion amounts and fluid balance.
Postoperative pain control and inhaled oxygen concentration were also important related to PPC.
They didn’t analyze these factors by multivariate analysis.
4. The frequency of RDS after pediatric liver transplantation was so rare. What was the reason
of RDS?
5. In living donor liver transplantation, the cold ischemic time was so small. I felt that the effect
of ischemia-reperfusion injury was so small to consider higher serum level of NET components.
What factor did influence the higher level of NET components?
6. What did influence the measurement of serum level of NET components?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02744-0 (2023)

Title: Neutrophil extracellular traps predict postoperative pulmonary complications in paediatric
patients undergoing parental liver transplantation
Version: 1 Date: 14 Feb 2023
Reviewer's report:
"PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?
Yes - there is a clear objective
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for
the objective?
Yes - the approach is appropriate
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow
confidence in the results?
Yes - experiments and analyses were performed appropriately
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not
overstated?
Yes - the author's interpretation is reasonable
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work technically
sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically sound?
Yes - current version is technically sound
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:
GENERAL COMMENTS: Authors have evaluated NETs as biomarkers of pulmonary
complications arising out of parental liver transplantation in pediatric patients. Study topic is
interesting and of importance. Authors have recruited sufficient number of patients and have
evaluated NETs by 4 different techniques including immunostaining which provides strength
to the study.
The major findings of the present study are: different components of NETs could serve as a
biomarker for the development of PPC, risk factor of prolonged ICU stay and even prognostic
indicator of mortality at 1 year. Authors have evaluated NETs by four different techniques;
cfDNA, DNA-histone complexes, DNA-MPO complexes, and immunostaining on confocal
microscopy. Authors have recruited quite a good number of patients (n=133) with a complete 1-
year follow-up of all the patients. Study raises serious relationship between NETs and PPC and
can be utilized by other researchers in this field  to further delve into the complex relationship
between NETs and PPC."
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02744-0 (2023)

Title: Neutrophil extracellular traps predict postoperative pulmonary complications in paediatric
patients undergoing parental liver transplantation
Version: 4 Date: 15 Mar 2023
Reviewer's report:
"PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses one or several
testable research questions? (Brief or other article types: is there a clear objective?)
Yes - there is a clear objective
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for
the objective?
Yes - the approach is appropriate
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with sufficient technical rigor to
allow confidence in the results?
Yes - experiments and analyses were performed appropriately
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not
overstated?
Yes - the author's interpretation is reasonable
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Has the author addressed your concerns sufficiently
for you to now recommend the work as a technically sound contribution? If not, can further
revisions be made to make the work technically sound?
Yes - current version is technically sound
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:
GENERAL COMMENTS: Authors have evaluated NETs as biomarkers of
pulmonary complications arising out of parental liver transplantation in pediatric patients. In
my earlier review, I found the manuscript suitable for publication however, other reviewer has
raised some queries which i have evaluated in the present version of the manuscript and found
the responses of the authors appropriate. Again, I am satisfied with the current version and find
it suitable for publication.
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:
None"
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02881-6 (2023)

Title: Analysis of the NUDT15 Gene and Metabolites of Azathioprine in Japanese Patients with
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Version: 0 Date: 15 May 2023
Reviewer:  Prateek Bhatia
Reviewer's report:
The authors have tried to highlight the relationship between metabolites of Thiopurine and
different enzyme SNPs of NUDT15 and Clinical adverse reactions in a cohort of IBD cases.
These studies are very vital to understand the pharmacogenomic principles in relation to clinical
practice and guide important treatment and dose modification decisions.
However as reviewer I have many observations regarding the data which requires substantial
addresal for the manuscript to be re considered.
1. The authors have taken 49 IBD cases who had received 52 weeks of Thiopurine and
retrieved their biobank samples for analysis.  Though they mention different time point biobank
samples beng tested for intermediate metabolites, they do not highlight what was nature os
sample archived? I presume whole blood was freeze since RBX metabolites concentration were
measured . Please clarify on same and also detail whether freeze thawing and long term retrieval
of blood sample can affect thiopurine intermediate metabolite level measurement .?
2. How can authors get such a high frequency of heterozygotes for both ITPA and Nudt
15 ...nearly 31 or 32  out of 4 had some or other SNP including combine SNP of nudt15 in
6 cases. Please detail in statistical analysis whether this high allele frequency is in accordance
with the laws of allele distribution in population and whether authors have used hardy weinberg
correction for same.  This is very important to detail and clarify considering high frequency of
the SNPs.
3. Authors need to resort to terminology of polymorphism instead of mutation for all these
changes all throughout the manuscript.
4. It is known that 6TGN levels by HPLC have many drawbacks because it gives the total 6TGN
level and no information on the individual components of Mono, di or the most active and toxic
tri form . Rather many experrt groups now recommend resorting to measuring DNA-6TGN
levels by mass spec which specifically detects active DNA bound tri form. Please describe this
as limitation and discuss this as another  possible reason for not finding a correlation between
6TGN levels and NUDT15 SNPs.
5. Many relevant references in IBD  with nudt15 and itpa SNPs and systematic reviews as well as
recent study ftom india showing no relation  of itpa with Thiopurine toxicity in IBD are missing.
These are primary from the group in South Asia (india) led by Sharma V et al. Please add them
and discuss their relevant results in discussion.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02881-6 (2023)

Title: Analysis of the NUDT15 Gene and Metabolites of Azathioprine in Japanese Patients with
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Version: 0 Date: 24 May 2023
Reviewer:  Devendra Desai
Reviewer's report:
This study looks at the molecular causes for thiopurine toxicity, ITPA, NUDT 15 and TPMT.
In introduction the authors should remove reference to their previous study and add the aims.
Why were older blood sample used in all patients?  Was there any fixed time for thiopurine
metabolite measurement?  Can we compare the measurement made at week 8 with measurement
at week 52?
Authors should also explain why they decided to club the molecular analysis with thiopurine
metabolite measurement.
The result of this study suggests that leucopenia may be related to ITPA and /or NUDT
15 genotype variation. However some of the recent studies show that ITPA variation is not
important in causing leucopenia. So authors need to discuss it.
Finally there are some spelling mistakes that need correction.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02881-6 (2023)

Title: Analysis of the NUDT15 Gene and Metabolites of Azathioprine in Japanese Patients with
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Version: 2 Date: 17 Jun 2023
Reviewer:  Prateek Bhatia
Reviewer's report:
Authors have suitably responded to all comments and made necessary revisions.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02881-6 (2023)

Title: Analysis of the NUDT15 Gene and Metabolites of Azathioprine in Japanese Patients with
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Version: 2 Date: 30 Jun 2023
Reviewer:  Devendra Desai
Reviewer's report:
The authors have responded to  the comments except one- timing of blood collection . What i
meant was  any specific period  like one month, 3 months after starting thiopurines .  How ever
in response e to  first reviewer they have mentioned that it was done monthly.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02875-4 (2023)

Title: A novel nomogram and risk stratification system predicting the cancer-specific survival of
patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma: A study based on SEER database and external
validation
Version: 1 Date: 23 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
Very interesting study. The statistics is robust and adequate. I have only some minor comments:
1) English grammar should be improved.
2) As all the SEER studies, the analysis lacks of granularity and interpreting some information
is challenging.
3) The nomogram is difficult to interpret due to the very high number of variables.  Could some
of them be grouped? (for example T and N staging)
4) Among the causes of death in these patients, bleeding should be commented (in this regard
cite a recent MA on this topic PMID: 31401022)
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02875-4 (2023)

Title: A novel nomogram and risk stratification system predicting the cancer-specific survival of
patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma: A study based on SEER database and external
validation
Version: 1 Date: 06 Jun 2023
Reviewer's report:
The study presents the results of a study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict 1-,
3-, and 5-year CSS for GNEC patients after surgical resection, which presented better predictive
ability than the 8th AJCC TNM staging system.
Comments and criticisms on the paper:
1. It is important to note that this study is retrospective in nature. Therefore it has inherent
limitations, such as potential selection bias, incomplete data, and the inability to establish
causality. Although the study design is appropriate for constructing and validating a nomogram
based on existing data, it is crucial to consider these limitations when interpreting the findings.
Therefore, I suggest less enthusiastic conclusion.
1. Sample Size: The paper mentions a total of 28 patients from a single hospital as the external
validation cohort, which is relatively small. A larger sample size would enhance the reliability
and generalizability of the results.
2. Generalizability: The external validation cohort consists of patients from a single hospital,
which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Including patients from multiple institutions
or different geographical locations would improve the external validity of the nomogram.
3. Given the limitations of the retrospective study design and the relatively small sample size,
it is prudent to exercise caution when interpreting the results. While the developed nomogram
shows promise in predicting the cancer-specific survival of postoperative GNEC patients,
further validation in larger prospective studies is warranted to confirm its predictive ability and
generalizability. It would be appropriate, instead of this little cohort of external validation, a
little cohort of external or even internal prospective validation to conclude that the nomogram
demonstrates potential as a predictive tool.
4. The clinical utility of this nomogram is not weel analyzed in the paper: it would be valuable
to discuss how the nomogram can be used in clinical practice to guide treatment decisions or
improve patient outcomes.
5. Limitations: The paper does not thoroughly discuss the limitations of the study. The
Authors wrote a very short paragraph on the limitation, without going in depth. Identifying and
addressing potential limitations, such as selection bias, missing data, or other sources of error,
would strengthen the interpretation and reliability of the results.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02875-4 (2023)

Title: A novel nomogram and risk stratification system predicting the cancer-specific survival of
patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma: A study based on SEER database and external
validation
Version: 2 Date: 02 Jul 2023
Reviewer's report:
The revised version of the paper is OK. Thank you!
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02875-4 (2023)

Title: A novel nomogram and risk stratification system predicting the cancer-specific survival of
patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma: A study based on SEER database and external
validation
Version: 2 Date: 03 Jul 2023
Reviewer's report:
The authors have responded to the raised concerns and addressed the questions. Therefore,
it now meets the necessary standards for publication. The inclusion of additional information
and clarifications has enhanced the scientific rigor and the overall quality of the paper. The
manuscript can now be considered suitable for publication
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02874-5 (2023)

Title: Comparison of Metal Versus Plastic Stent for Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Patients
With Pancreatic Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic
Review
Version: 0 Date: 10 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
This is a study by Lyu et al comparing metal and plastic stents for preoperative biliary drainage
in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. I congratulate the
authors on this study; however, I have a few concerns as listed below:
1. Please expand the RBO abbreviation when it appears the first time in the text.
2. Please add definitions of your outcomes in the methods section.
3. The numbers in your PRISMA figure (Figure 1) do not add up. Please recheck.
4. Please add the PRISMA checklist to your manuscript
5. This study is very similar to the study published by Du and colleagues in 2022(see citation
below). What does this study add to the previously published literature?
(Du J, Gao X, Zhang H, Wan Z, Yu H, Wang D. Stent Selection in Preoperative Biliary
Drainage for Patients With Operable Pancreatic Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy: A
Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. Front Surg. 2022 Jun 30;9:875504. doi: 10.3389/
fsurg.2022.875504. PMID: 35846957; PMCID: PMC9280034.)
6. Even though the study of Heneghan et al has been added to your study, I do not see any
analysis on this study. Why was this study not included in any analysis? What was the rationale
of the inclusion of this study?
7. In the discussion section, please try to expand on individual outcomes and explain why they
happened.
8. There are multiple grammatical errors throughout the manuscript.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02874-5 (2023)

Title: Comparison of Metal Versus Plastic Stent for Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Patients
With Pancreatic Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic
Review
Version: 0 Date: 19 May 2023
Reviewer:  Harishankar Gopakumar
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors,
It was a pleasure to read your work titled “Comparison of Metal Versus Plastic Stent for
Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant
Therapy: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review”.
Overall, a good study with clinical implications. My concerns
Major
Authors state that "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to focus on
this topic". However, there are other prior meta-analysis evaluating the same outcome. Please
see examples below. Can the authors explain how this new meta-analysis is different from the
previous ones on the same topic and what new conclusions can readers draw from this new study.
Kumar, N,  Jena, A,  Sharma, V,  Shukla, S,  Shah, J.  Outcome of metal vs plastic
stents for biliary obstruction in patients with pancreatic carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant
chemoradiotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci.  2023;
30: 419– 428. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbp.1240
Du J, Gao X, Zhang H, Wan Z, Yu H, Wang D. Stent Selection in Preoperative Biliary
Drainage for Patients With Operable Pancreatic Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy: A
Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. Front Surg. 2022 Jun 30;9:875504. doi: 10.3389/
fsurg.2022.875504. PMID: 35846957; PMCID: PMC9280034.
Minor
- Please expand the abbreviation RBO in the results section as this has not been done before.
- "Fewer complications may be helpful for enough anticancer agent". Please elaborate this
statement and it is not very clear what the authors are to and please provide a reference to validate
this statement.
- Can the authors elaborate on the timing of metal stent placement in that study arm. A plastic
stent is usually placed at the time of initial evaluation (EUS with biopsy/ERCP with biopsies)
for a suspected pancreatic Ca and decision regarding metal stent if often done after pathologic
confirmation of the diagnosis. So in the studies using metal stents, were they placed replacing
a previously placed plastic stent and if so, was that done when there was clinical evidence of
biliary obstruction or as part of the study protocol ?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02843-y (2023)

Title: Identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in PBMC of
hepatocellular carcinoma
Version: 3 Date: 11 Feb 2023
Reviewer's report:
This paper provides a detailed analysis of the genetic aspects affecting the prognosis of HCC.
This topic is very interesting with regard to the developing possibilities of immunotherapy and
very important in terms of its application in the treatment of HCC.
Abstract
-The abstract should be composed according to the journal guidelines (background, methods...).
Introduction
-The aim of the paper is mentioned only in the discussion. For the sake of clarity, it should be
mentioned in the introduction and abstract.
Results
Some parts of the results are unclear due to the number of factors analysed. In addition, most of
the subsections further elaborate on how the authors obtained their results, including the various
databases which they use. For better clarity, it is worth considering moving this section to the
methodology or shortening it.
-3.1. - The top 10 DEGs included...whats the meaning of "the top" - the most common? the
most relevant?
-3.2. on second lined, three patients are mentioned - these are part of the original cohort (12
patients) or other? In the original cohort there are only BCLC C-D, so how can you analyze
BCLC A,B? If the analysis involves 3 patients, how come 4 BLCL stages are included?
-3.4. - In the text FIG 4a refers to the stage and 4b to the grade of HCC - but this does not
correspond to the attached pictures.
Discussion
-It should be clearly distinguished where the conclusion begins.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02843-y (2023)

Title: Identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in PBMC of
hepatocellular carcinoma
Version: 3 Date: 23 Feb 2023
Reviewer's report:
This study  aim  to identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in
PBMC of hepatocellular carcinoma, which was intrested well organised.
There are some grammar errors in the manuscipt, re-edit the paper  is  needed before accepted
for  publication.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02843-y (2023)

Title: Identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in PBMC of
hepatocellular carcinoma
Version: 3 Date: 17 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?
Yes - there is a clear objective
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for
the objective?
Yes - the approach is appropriate
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow
confidence in the results?
Yes - experiments and analyses were performed appropriately
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not
overstated?
Yes - the author's interpretation is reasonable
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work technically
sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically sound?
Yes - current version is technically sound
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:
GENERAL COMMENTS: Authors aim to evaluate the possible prognostic and predictive role
of transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). They report the result of
12 patients with HCC. They  made both survival correlation and stage correlation tests with
appropriate statistical analysis. They showed that CLDN18 was associated with poor prognosis,
BCLC staging and survival analysis. They also stated that CLDN18 related with TME and can
be a predictive factor for the IO agents. They showed their results with appropriate graphics and
outlines. On the other hand, they tested transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells
(PBMCs) in only 12 patients. And drawing conclusions from 12 patients may not be appropriate.
Therefore, this hypothesis must be studied in a wider population of HCC.
They used transcriptome analysis from blood and tissue; these analyses and implementation
into clinics is a novel method. HCC is a cancer that derives little benefit from the single agent
immunotherapy agents--most responded to combinational therapy ( anti-VEGF and IO agents).
To show predictive role of this test, authors may choose the HCC only BCLC-C that had been
treated with IO+ anti-VEGF combination treatment.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02843-y (2023)

Title: Identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in PBMC of
hepatocellular carcinoma
Version: 6 Date: 27 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses one or several
testable research questions? (Brief or other article types: is there a clear objective?)
Yes - there is a clear objective
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for
the objective?
Yes - the approach is appropriate
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with sufficient technical rigor to
allow confidence in the results?
Yes - experiments and analyses were performed appropriately
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not
overstated?
Yes - the author's interpretation is reasonable
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Has the author addressed your concerns sufficiently
for you to now recommend the work as a technically sound contribution? If not, can further
revisions be made to make the work technically sound?
Yes - current version is technically sound
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:
GENERAL COMMENTS: the authors responded adequately to each concern raised by editors.
They made necessary changes and explain our intriguing questions. The current form of the
revised manuscript was acceptable.
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:
none
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02843-y (2023)

Title: Identification of Immune-Related Target and Prognostic Biomarkers in PBMC of
hepatocellular carcinoma
Version: 6 Date: 30 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
The authors have made corrections in the text according to the reviewers' comments. They also
clarified any additional comments from the reviewers.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02866-5 (2023)

Title: Triage policy to postpone endoscopy for patients with low-risk varices is safe during the
lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 2 Date: 23 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
Chen YJ and colleagues performed a retrospective study aimed to assess the safety of a triage
policy in patients receiving esophageal variceal ligation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
manuscript is attractive and well written. Nevertheless, it presents some minor points that need
to be addressed, as follows:
Minor issues
1) In the introduction it would be useful to add some additional data on the current management
of oesophageal varices according last updated guidelines. Consider including some information
and citing this paper:
-Diagnosis and Management of Esophagogastric Varices. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Mar
8;13(6):1031 . doi:10.3390/diagnostics13061031. PMID: 36980343; PMC ID: PMC10047815.
2)Concerning the impact of Covid pandemic on GI activities and GI training (that is also
indirectly involved in EVL), the authors should consider citing these papers that provide relevant
data on the topic.
-Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gastroenterology Divisions in Italy: a national survey.
Dig Liver Dis . 2020 May 16.  doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2020.05.017.  Online ahead of print.
-Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on clinical practice and training of young gastroenterologists:
A European survey. Dig Liver Dis. 2020 May 23:S1590-8658(20)30233-4. doi: 10.1016/
j.dld.2020.05.023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32507619
3) Please cite the consensus of Baveno VII, not Baevno VI since it has been updated.
- de Franchis R, Bosch J, Garcia-Tsao G, Reiberger T, Ripoll C; Baveno VII Faculty. Baveno VII
- Renewing consensus in portal hypertension. J Hepatol. 2022 Apr;76(4):959-974. doi: 10.1016/
j.jhep.2021.12.022. Epub 2021 Dec 30. Erratum in: J Hepatol. 2022 Apr 14;: PMID: 35120736.
4) The authors correctly stated that according to Baveno consensus either NSBBs or endoscopic
band ligation is recommended for the prevention of the first variceal bleeding of medium or
large varices.
Nevertheless, according the new statement of Baveno VII, in patients with high-risk varices
(large varices, or red spot signs, or Child-Pugh C), prevention of first variceal hemorrhage is
indicated, with traditional NSBBs or carvedilol being preferred over EVL.
In contrast, the study protocol assigned EVL as the sole method of primary prophylaxis. This
attitude, now obsolete, which goes against the current guidelines, should be clarified, explaining
that there were different recommendations during the period of the study.
5)The results refer to a strategy adopted during the lockdown. However, the authors need to
explain what impact this finding may have on clinical practice outside the pandemic, especially
whether the data may be sufficient to support mitigated surveillance or not.
6)The manuscript has numerous typos (eg “Childs Pugh”, “developping”) and needs
proofreading by a native speaker.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02866-5 (2023)

Title: Triage policy to postpone endoscopy for patients with low-risk varices is safe during the
lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 2 Date: 28 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
Comments to the authors
Chen YJ, et al. examined the safety to postpone the endoscopy for patients with esophageal
varices during the lockdown period of COVID-19. Esophageal variceal bleeding during the
lockdown period was higher than that during the normal period (9/32, 28.1% vs. 8/92, 8.7%,
p=0.006). The variceal bleeding occurred more frequently in patients who referred for urgent
EVL during the lockdown period than in those during the normal period (7/9, 77.8% vs. 2/14,
14.2%, p=0.007). What the authors tried to examine is important and interesting. However, I
have a few points to be worried and the authors should address the points below.
Major points:
1. The most interesting thing that the readers will want to know in this study is the influence
of postponed endoscopy on the subsequent variceal bleeding during the lockdown period. The
authors should describe how many years the patients with postponed endoscopy were followed-
up and how many patients had variceal bleeding after the postponed endoscopy.
2. The authors should describe how many patients who referred for urgent EVL received regular
prophylaxis program during the normal period and the lockdown period.
3. In Table 3 and Table 4, the way of including only variables with statistically significant
differences in univariate analyses into multivariate analyses is wrong and usually not
recommended. In multivariate analyses, the authors should include age, sex, variables with a
significant implication that they aim to examine, and variables that have potential association
with variceal bleeding based on the previous reports. Moreover, the results of multivariate
analyses in Table 3 and Table 4 are not reliable and meaningless because the number of patients
with variceal bleeding is small. The authors should reconsider the significance of presenting the
multivariate analyses.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02866-5 (2023)

Title: Triage policy to postpone endoscopy for patients with low-risk varices is safe during the
lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 4 Date: 18 Jun 2023
Reviewer's report:
Comments to the authors
Major points:
In Table 3, the authors have included too much variables in multivariate analyses. In usual, one-
tenth of the number of cases with event occurrence can be included in multivariate analyses.
If the number of cases with variceal bleeding is 17, only one or two variables can be included.
Moreover, at least age and gender should be included in multivariate analyses. Based on these
reasons, the results of multivariate analyses in Table 3 are not reliable and meaningless because
the number of patients with variceal bleeding is small. The authors should reconsider the
significance of presenting the multivariate analyses.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02866-5 (2023)

Title: Triage policy to postpone endoscopy for patients with low-risk varices is safe during the
lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 4 Date: 19 Jun 2023
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript has been significantly improved upon revision and the authors have satisfied
all my comments.
The paper is therefore worthy of publication in the current form, without further remarks.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02836-x (2023)

Title: Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for treating recurrent bleeding of small bowel
angioectasias
Version: 0 Date: 25 Nov 2022
Reviewer:  Jean-christophe Saurin
Reviewer's report:
This is a retrospective analysis of 61 patients with small bowel angiodysplasie treated by
aetoxysclerol injections (35) or by usual care (no endoscopic treatment, and in fact refusal of
endoscopic treatment, 31). This paper ins of rea l interest for the gastroenterological community,
as it present interesting data of treatment and FU using a very common treatment of SBAD in
experienced teams, but a treatment that has been very poorly validated in previous literature.
Limitation : Control group were older patients , retrospective study, large number of excluded
patients , so  that the positive effect observed with the injection process is exposed to multiple
bias, to be clarified in the discussion.
Table 1 : more characteristics of these patients in control and treatment group should be added
to this table : transfusion before admission and number of SB lesions (as both represent risk
factors for rebleeding), severe comorbidities (cardiopathy, renal insufficiency, cancer) : we need
to know how both groups were comparable before management, to clarify the multiple possible
bias .
Table 2 : it is not clear whether readmissions were because of new bleeding episodes or other
reasons
Figure 1 shows a very small angiodysplasie that would be classified as P1 in the relevance
classification for capsule endoscopy. I think that this is not the image to show in a paper dealing
with endoscopic treatment of SM AD, maybe the authors could present a more relevant lesion
(larger, bleeding)
As stated by the authors in the discussion, ther is a need for a prospective randomized study to
prouve the efficacy of any endoscopic treatment of SBAD against standard care.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02836-x (2023)

Title: Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for treating recurrent bleeding of small bowel
angioectasias
Version: 1 Date: 08 Jan 2023
Reviewer:  Jean-christophe Saurin
Reviewer's report:
The authors adressed the issues that were detected in the manuscript; With the limitation of
a retrospective study, this paper presents interesting data that are now clearly detailed with
identified possible bias.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02870-9 (2023)

Title: Correlation between Color Doppler Flow Pattern and Molecular Biology in Elderly
Patients with Colon Cancer
Version: 2 Date: 26 Mar 2023
Reviewer's report:
1#The purpose of this article is unclear, and it is not clear what the significance of the study is.
2#No control group was set up in this research, resulting in the lack of completeness of the
whole experiment.
3#The paper does not provide CDFI images, only partial stacking of the data, and no direct and
clear clinical experimental study results.
4#In part 3.4 of the paper, the author directly analyzes the correlation between blood flow
distribution and cytokines. Are the results of "blood flow distribution" and "blood flow grade"
equivalent? Because the above paragraph did not answer how the blood flow distribution was
obtained.
5#This article does not mention whether it has been approved by the Human Ethics Committee.
In summary, it is recommended to reject the manuscript.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02870-9 (2023)

Title: Correlation between Color Doppler Flow Pattern and Molecular Biology in Elderly
Patients with Colon Cancer
Version: 2 Date: 07 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
In this study, 76 elderly patients with colorectal cancer were included. The blood flow grade
and blood flow distribution type of tumor tissue were analyzed by CDFI, and the levels of
tumor-related cytokines in serum were detected by ELISA assay. Then the correlation between
cytokines and CDFI blood flow analysis was studied. This study has certain innovation and
scientific value, but there are still the following problems, it is recommended to make minor
revision:
1. The groups about gender, tumor length, tumor infiltration of serous layer and lymphatic
metastasis in the "content" of the first column of Table 1 should be placed below each item, not
on the right; Table 2 is the same, please modify.
2. What is the basis for choosing cytokines such as TNF-#, IL-6 and VEGF for research?
3. Only using binary logistic regression to show that TNF-#, IL-6 and VEGF are independent
risk factors for the death of elderly patients with colon cancer lacks rigor.
4. What is the clinical value of studying the correlation between CDFI blood flow grade, tumor
vascularity and different cytokines, and it should be explained.
5. All the cases were operated and diagnosed by doctors with different seniority. Since the
diagnosis of blood flow signal largely depends on subjective judgment, how to exclude the
influence of subjective factors?
6. The specific statistical methods are not fully elaborated in the "Materials and Methods"
section, such as the method used for the normality test is not mentioned.
7. Please attach the ethics approval document.
8. Statistical difference "P" and "t" of t test should be expressed in italics.
9. The language of the article needs further improvement.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02872-7 (2023)

Title: Vonoprazan-based triple and dual therapy versus bismuth-based quadruple therapy for
Helicobacter pylori infection in China: A three-arm, randomised clinical trial protocol
Version: 1 Date: 25 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
This study was tried to evaluation of Vonoprazan-based triple and dual therapy not inferior to
bismuth-based quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in China.
Detail description of study designed, and method were found.
However, no clear study result and short discussion in this manuscription.
Besides, I did not see any table 1.
Did this manuscription completed finish?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02872-7 (2023)

Title: Vonoprazan-based triple and dual therapy versus bismuth-based quadruple therapy for
Helicobacter pylori infection in China: A three-arm, randomised clinical trial protocol
Version: 1 Date: 02 May 2023
Reviewer's report:
Dear Dr. Luo
The manuscript is incomplete. I could not find any result of your study.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02872-7 (2023)

Title: Vonoprazan-based triple and dual therapy versus bismuth-based quadruple therapy for
Helicobacter pylori infection in China: A three-arm, randomised clinical trial protocol
Version: 3 Date: 23 Jun 2023
Reviewer's report:
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses one or several
testable research questions? (Brief or other article types: is there a clear objective?)
Yes - there is a clear objective
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for
the objective?
Yes - the approach is appropriate
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with sufficient technical rigor to
allow confidence in the results?
Yes - experiments and analyses were performed appropriately
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not
overstated?
N/A - no results to interpret
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Has the author addressed your concerns sufficiently
for you to now recommend the work as a technically sound contribution? If not, can further
revisions be made to make the work technically sound?
Yes - current version is technically sound
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:
GENERAL COMMENTS: All in all this manuscript is much improved over the previous
version.  The revised version is improved with the addition of the purpose / rationale to the
manuscript.
REQUESTED REVISIONS:
In the revised version the order of the authors has been changed. This is a red flag. Kuan Li is
now last authors. Did this come with consent from the other authors?
According to COPE, once a paper has undergone revision, if one or more authors are added or
removed or the author order is changed, the journal will require a letter signed by all the original
and additional authors stating the reason for the change and that all authors agree on the addition,
removal, and/or reordering .
I could now access https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=141314 Thanks for that
The authors now highlight a comparable study (reference 24), and I appreciate that. I was
looking for the rationale and the rebuttal suggests that “accumulating clinical evidence is
crucial to support its (VPZ for Helicobacter pylori infection)  approval for this indication”. The
introduction now reflects this thinking. (line 123 and further)
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:
The selection of patients comes from the pool of 13C-UBT positive tests. that is reasonable.
It is clear to me now that 13C-urea breath test is indeed being used both for patient selection/
recruitment and for assessing the study outcome
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02863-8 (2023)

Title: Effectiveness of Saccharomyces Boulardii CNCM I-745 Probiotic in Acute Inflammatory
Viral Diarrhoea in Adults. Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
Version: 3 Date: 26 Nov 2022
Reviewer's report:
The need for study is established , as probiotic role in  viral diarrhea is not conclusive .
Overall, the study design is fair and seems to be well executed.  The chosen study end points
are not routinely followed, hence the limitations needs to be mentioned
Find below my comments
1)Since the sample size is 47, the title of  study can be renamed as 'Effectiveness of S boulardii
CNCM I 745  probiotic in acute inflammatory viral diarrhea in adults;  results from a single
centre, RCT
2)What is the rationale for administering Sb 600mg per day for 8 days?  please add appropriate
references justifying the same  in 'discussion' section
3)How is the pain severity measured and reported in this study? please enumerate in 'methods '
4)The clinical end points of improvement with patient global impression of  scale does not
capture information on few of standard end points in diarrhea studies such as consistency of
stools, frequency of stools, hydration status, associated symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
This should be included as limitation of study.
5) Apart from Day 4 and day 8 , it would be good to see daily improvement scores from day 1
to 8. please include this information in supplementary  table if available
6) Which antispasmodics and analgesics are used in study? mention
Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02863-8 (2023)

Title: Effectiveness of Saccharomyces Boulardii CNCM I-745 Probiotic in Acute Inflammatory
Viral Diarrhoea in Adults. Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
Version: 5 Date: 14 Jun 2023
Reviewer's report:
The authors have adequately addressed all issues raised in the previous round of review. The
manuscript is more informative in the revised format. There is only one point that still should
be addressed  - When stated in the abstract “70% of patients in the Sb group but only 26%
in the placebo group reported improvement (P = 0.004).” it should be clearly specified how
improvement was assessed.