Review for 10.1186/s12876-017-0640-7 (2017)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Regulation of apoptosis is impaired in atrophic gastritis associated with gastric cancer  
 
Version: 0 Date: 05 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Irene Coati  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
In my opinion, this is a good article.  
Its aim is clear and the study is well developed.  
As the authors say, the number of the patients is not so wide, but anyway the results are 
interesting.  
I decided to accept the article with minor revisions.  
Mine are the following:  
- I invite the authors to change/improve the figures because their are really not explanatory. 
The authors could add figures in hematoxylin and eosin in order to underline also the 
morphologic aspect of the gastric mucosa and in order to be more complete.  
 
- In table 1: there is the caption "sex" but it is not explained if the numbers are concerned to 
female or male.  
 
Ortographic mistakes:  
- At line 56: to cut the two words "Inpatients".  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please sp ecify 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 sho wn? 
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
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:  
 
Acceptable  
 
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 publi cation of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation 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 curr ently 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 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 rep ort 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
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CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understa nd that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included 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