Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0747-5 (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: APOB codon 4311 polymorphism is associated with hepatitis C virus infection through 
altered lipid metabolism  
 
Version: 0 Date: 12 Dec 2017  
 
Reviewer: Bhavana Bhagya Rao  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
This is an interesting study with some noteworthy findings. The authors enrol led patients at a 
Japanese center over multiple years and compared lipid profiles and SNP patterns in specific 
lipid regulator genes among HCV positive vs. negative patients.  
 
Major comments:  
- Further details regarding the HCV infection status of the coh ort need to be provided. 
Duration of HCV infection, degree of viremia, underlying genotype and any possible 
influence on lipid profile and SNP pattern is relevant to improve our interpretation of these 
results.  
- Were patients with lipid metabolism disord ers excluded?  
- Had any of the HCV positive patients received prior or ongoing anti - viral therapy  
- What was the mode of enrollment of patients? Was sample size calculation performed prior 
to study initiation?  
- Since these lipid and SNP patterns represe nt a one time measurement, it is challenging to 
make any conclusions regarding their association with HCV infection.  
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 manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional 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 quali ty of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
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 gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
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 al l of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your 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 n ame will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted 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 availa ble under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/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