Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0793-z (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title:  A subclinical high tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient independent of the mean 
pulmonary artery pressure is a risk factor for the survival afte r living donor liver transplantation  
 
Version: 3 Date: 27 Mar 2018 
 
Reviewer:  Georg  Gyoeri  
 
Reviewer’s report:  
 
I would like to thank the authors for resubmitting their work.  
 
However, as with previous submission, the data presented does not support the conclusions 
drawn. Out of 87 pat ients only 34 had a suspected high TRPG and 10 patients died - of unreated 
causes.  
 
The authors conclude:". A subclinical high TRPG is an important marker for pred icting 
congestive pressure to a grafted small liver, resulting in a worse survival after LDLT ." (p5, l10) - 
This conclusion cannot be made from the data presented.  
 
The shortcomings in methodology  should be adaequately presented within the discussion.  
 
Despite some improvement, the manuscript should be one more time carefully edited by a native 
speaker:  
  
eg. p6 "Although not frequent, portop ulmonary hypertension (POPH) is occasionally seen, in 
which the pulmonary arteries thicken, resulting in pulmonary hypertension"  or p7 "Although 
patients with confirmed POPH and HPS are rare, relatively pulmo nary hypertensive patients and  
mild HPS patients are more common"  
 
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 t he 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:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
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 organisat ion 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 reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
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 ag ree 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 inc luded 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