Review for 10.1186/s12876-021-01707-7 (2021)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Gene Expression Profiling of Inflammatory Cytokines in Esophageal
Biopsies of Different Phenotypes of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: a cross-
sectional study
Version: 
0 
Date: 
21 Jul 2020
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)?
No - there are minor issues
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols)
appropriate for the objective?
No - there are minor issues
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor
to allow confidence in the results?
No - there are minor issues
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
No - there are issues with the statistics in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results
reasonable and not overstated?
No - there are major issues
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work
technically sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically
sound?
Maybe - with major revisions
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS: 
GENERAL COMMENTS: 
The study presented here is of interest for the clinical treatment of the different
types of gastroesophageal reflux diseases considered. However, the manuscript
needs further work in order to have publication quality. The main drawback is
the few results shown, with just one method used and no follow-up or further
experiments. No clear conclusions are drawn, and no utility for the clinical
setting is even proposed. Overall, the paper needs to be completed, extended, and
rewritten.
REQUESTED REVISIONS: 
Furthermore, the authors mix significant with non-significant results in a manner
that is confusing for the reader and leads one to think that all the results are
significant. It is also not very clear why the genes studied are selected (they seem
to be the same previously published in the mouse study, but with human samples
in this case). The Results section is minimal, and most of the manuscript is made
up of the Discussion. The figures would be more informative if all the results for
the three diseases would have been presented in one figure instead of three. The
table with the clinical characteristics of the patients contains almost no
information.
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No
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
No
Does the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the
authors.
No
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
No
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 quality of language in the manuscript:
Acceptable
Declaration of competing interests
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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?
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gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now
or in the future?
3
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Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the
content of the manuscript?
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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?
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Do you have any other financial competing interests?
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paper?
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