Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0892-x (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Biologic Treatment of Japanese Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease  
 
Version: 0 Date: 16 Jul 2018  
 
Reviewer: Atsushi Sakuraba  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The authors have analyzed detailed characteristics of IBD patients that were treated with 
biologics in Japan. They anal yzed the result of an online survey that were undertaken by patients. 
In addition to clinical factors, they have included socioeconomic status which I found interesting.  
 
 
 
Major:  
 
1. Abstract: The results are not explained in detail in the Abstract. The Back ground is 
redundant, so I would make it shorter and add more detailed outcomes in the Results.  
 
 
2. Abstract, Methods: The authors should mention that the study was an online survey 
answered by the patients.  
 
 
3. Methods: Are there any reference to previous studies that used a similar survey 
conducted by IPSOS?  
 
 
4. Results: CD and UC are clinically distinct entities, so I recommend explaining the results 
separately. For example, when having a surgical hx for UC, it mostly means that the pt is 
cured from UC unless they develop severe pouchitis. In contrast, for CD it means that the 
pt may have a more complex disease.  
 
 
5. Results and Table 1: Did the authors analyze smoking status or obesity? How about urban 
vs rural ?  
 
 
6. The Discussion is very redundant and the authors just repeat their findings. It should be 
reduced by half.  
 
 
 
 
Minor:  
 
1. Methods: The city and country of IPSOS and STATA need to be included.  
 
 
2. Discussion: Instead of using the word nanbyo which cannot b e understood by anyone 
outside of Japan, I recommend that you just explain that IBD is included among the 
intractable diseases that have financial assistance by the government.  
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please spe cify 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 adequately 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 s tatistical review is recommended, 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:  
 
Needs some la nguage 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 fro m 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 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 appl ied 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 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal . I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or 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 in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editor s, which will not be publis hed. 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal