Review for 10.1186/s12876-021-01761-1 (2021)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Plasma interleukin-17 and alpha-fetoprotein combination effectively predicts imminent
hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence in liver cirrhotic patients
Version: 
0 
Date: 
15 Oct 2020
Reviewer's report:
I read with great interest the article assessing the role of interleukin-17 and alpha-fetoprotein to predict
imminent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence in liver cirrhotic patients. The article is well
written and the thematic is interesting; however, before a possible acceptance, the authors should address
the recommendations:
1) In the introduction you can also amend other tests to predict the occurrence and the recurrence of HCC
(DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i24.3326, DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000013438, DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-
2014-202462, DOI: 10.12659/MSM.918784, DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000018319, DOI:
10.1111/liv.13489, DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i20.5935, DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i24.2582, DOI:
10.1007/s00428-011-1099-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2018.02.010).
2) In the Methods, under patients characteristics, you have not specified if there are any exclusion criteria,
for example previous HCC, decompensation, ecc. Or if you have lost some patients during the follow up,
or if someone dead. You can add a flow chart to summarize that.
3) It would be interesting to have more information about the study population. If available, even in Table
1, you could add some clinical data for example the presence of portal hypertension, esophageal varices,
liver stiffness, previous decompensation and on primary localization of HCC (segment, diameter, number
of lesions…). Or if you prefer another table specific for HCC, interleukin-17 and alpha-fetoprotein, with
the incidence in the different cut-off used.
4) In the table 1 I can see only HBV and HCV patients but the sum of the 2 number is not 404 (237+ 128
=365), you have other etiologies? Please report it in the table. If you have also NAFLD patients, please
state which method did you use to diagnose NALFD (examples: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/flgastro-2013-
100403, doi: 10.1002/hep.30782.; https://doi.org/10.1586/17474124.2015.1049155
5) In the discussion you have to summarize your results more completely and compare them with the
results present in literature.
6) I would advise to review English language and correct grammar errors, and make sure all the
abbreviation is previously is written in full.
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Declaration of competing interests
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use of appropriate controls),
and are the conclusions supported by the evidence presented?
Yes
Are the methods sufficiently described to allow the study to be repeated?
Yes
Is the use of statistics and treatment of uncertainties appropriate?
Yes
Is the presentation of the work clear?
Yes
Are the images in this manuscript (including electrophoretic gels and blots) free from apparent
manipulation?
Yes