Review for 10.1186/s12876-020-01549-9 (2020)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Assessment of a novel method to detect clarithromycin-resistant
Helicobacter pylori using a stool antigen test reagent
Version: 
1 
Date: 
13 Aug 2020
Reviewer's report:
In this study, Authors aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of a newly
developed Nested polymerase chain reaction-QProbe (quenching probe) (Nested
PCR-QP) method using stool specimens. 
1) The first clinical study was performed in a cohort of 71 middle school
students. Could the Authors report more data regarding this cohort: age, sex, how
the cohort was selected, etc.?
2) The eradication regimens in the cohort of the middle school students was used
regardless of the results of the susceptibility test. I guess that this could rise
some ethical issues as it is already now in the literature that the efficacy of the
vonoprazan triple therapy is lower in patients harbouring strains resistant to
clarithromycin (Suzuki et al. Gut 2020).
3) The second clinical study is performed in adults. Even in this case, it would
be wort reporting some more information regarding this cohort (e.g. age,
presence of peptic ulcer disease, etc).
4) I guess table 3 is reporting sex as a codified variable: please replace it with F
(female) or M (male). Furthermore, it would be more appropriate reporting the
age of the patients and not the decade.
5) 
Could the Authors explain difference in prevalence of strains resistant to
clarithromycin between students (52.8%) and adults (30.4%)?
6) How much it cost this molecular test? Authors should clearly report the cost
(in euro or dollar), as well as should report how long the test take to get results.
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
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