Review for 10.1186/s12876-020-01579-3 (2021)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Metabolic Syndrome Components and Acute Pancreatitis: A Case-Control
Study in China
Version: 
0 
Date: 
30 Aug 2020
Reviewer's report:
Manuscript Review
It is a planned case control study evaluating the association between acute
pancreatitis and and various components of metabolic syndrome . However, i
have few queries and comments.
1. Since it is a since it is a single center case control study, one can only assert
association and not causation.
2. In the methodology section, there is no mention of treatment received by the
patients
3. In table 1, instead of cases and controls, you may specify acute pancreatitis
patients and controls for better clarity.
4. A subgroup analysis of patients whose diabetes/dyslipidmia is controlled with
diet/medicines could have been done with those who have uncontrolled
sugars/lipid profile for drawing stronger conclusions
5. Discussion, page 11, line 227, authors state that obesity may aggrevate the
severity of AP whereas it is not enough to initiate AP. Conclusion regarding
aggrevation of severity cannot be made on their study results because severity of
AP was not assessed in their study. Moreover, how would they justify
association with diabetes, dyslipidemia but not with obesity as association with
AP since all these factors usually go together.
6. Authors can comment upon increasing role of visceral fat which is believed to
be the metabolically active fat and its association with AP. Several publications
in the recent past have talked about their association.
7. Multiple grammatical errors need to be rectified for example 
eg. line 199 and line 200 "1.831 fold increases and 
0.247-fold decreases in risk" .
It should be increased and decreased risk instead
Use "were not" instead of "would not be" in material and methods section, page
5, line 93,94, line 99 and line 100.
Use of English language expert should be taken
8. Figure legends are missing
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
of appropriate controls), and are the conclusions supported by the evidence
presented?
Yes
Are the methods sufficiently described to allow the study to be repeated?
Yes
Is the use of statistics and treatment of uncertainties appropriate?
Yes
Is the presentation of the work clear?
Yes
Are the images in this manuscript (including electrophoretic gels and blots) free
from apparent manipulation?
Yes