Review for 10.1186/s12876-019-1050-9 (2019)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Alcohol relapse and its predictors after liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease:  A 
systematic review and meta -analysis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 10 Jun 2019  
Reviewer: Koji Uchino  
Reviewer's report:  
In this meta -analysis, the authors evalua ted the alcohol relapse rate and its predictor after liver 
transplantation for alcoholic liver disease. The manuscript was well written, and the results were 
generally accepted. The authors should be reconsider the points described below before the 
manuscr ipt will be accepted for publication. Additionally, the manuscript should be also 
reviewed by the statistician in order to evaluate the method of meta -analysis.  
 
Major Comments  
1) As the authors described, five systematic reviews have already been reported  about the same 
topic as this article. The authors should be much further discuss the differences from these 
previous five systematic reviews, and clarify the strong points of this article.  
 
Minor Comments  
2) In meta -analysis, the author should consider ov erlap of the patients in different articles from 
the same institution. Was there no overlap of the patients?  
 
3) The authors listed the 90 studies which they used in calculation of the alcohol relapse rate. 
However, the 39 studies which they used in evalua tion of the predictors of alcoholic relapse 
were not listed. The authors should list the 39 studies or show the citation number of these 
studies.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
  
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 da ta 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 recommend additional statistical review  
 
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 questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain o r 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 all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your r eply 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 name 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 available 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