Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0877-9 (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Low lymphocyte count and high monocyte count predicts poor prognosis  of gastric cancer  
 
Version: 2 Date: 17 Sep 2018  
 
Reviewer: Li Wei  
 
Reviewer's report:  
I appreciate the opportunity to review the manuscript entitled "Low lymphocyte count and high 
monocyte count predicts poor prognosis of gastric cancer". In this article, the  authors 
demonstrated that High absolute count of neutrophil, monocyte and platelet, and low absolute 
count of lymphocyte were associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer. Moreover, 
combination of lymphocyte and monocyte could further increase the pre dictive value for gastric 
cancer. Generally speaking, this investigation is well organized. However, some specific 
comments are listed below.  
1. Some of the references are outdated ，it will be better to cite the updated research results.  
2. Patients were divided into three groups according to the levels of lymphocyte and monocyte. 
The group 2 means patients with high lymphocyte and high monocyte, or low lymphocyte and 
low monocyte, why do you put them together but not separate them into to w groups?  
 
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 adequa tely 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 manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommende d, please speci fy 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 interest s 
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 pub lication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 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 th e 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 agre e 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 com ments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal