Review for 10.1186/s12876-017-0589-6 (2017)

Reviewer ’s repo rt 
 
Title: Levofloxacin or Clarithromycin -based quadruple regimens: what is the best alternative as  
first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication in a country with high resistance rates for  
both antibiotics?  
 
Version: 0 Date: 27 Oct 2016  
 
Reviewer:  Wei-Chen Tai  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors tried to find the better first -line regimens (Levofloxacin vs Clarithromycin -based 
quadruple therapy) to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in a country with high resistance rates for 
both antibiotics. The authors concluded that standard sequential treatment(Clarithromycin -based) 
was more effective than Levofloxacin -based sequential regimens. I have two questions about this 
article.  
 
 
 
 
1. Due to relative small sample size of these stud y groups, I suggest the authors to elongate 
the retrospective study period of this article up -to 36 or months to increase the sample 
size of both groups.  
 
 
2. The authors need to explain the inclusion criteria of enrolled patients more detailedly to 
avoid sa mpling bias, which might influence the result of this retrospective study.  
 
 
 
 
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 require d 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 manuscript or would you recommend an  
additiona l statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following quest ions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
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3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
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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 com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
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below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal