Review for 10.1186/s12876-021-01644-5 (2021)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
“Changing phenotype, early clinical course and clinical predictors of
inflammatory bowel disease in Sri Lanka: a retrospective, tertiary care-based,
multi-centre study.”
Version: 
1 
Date: 
01 Jan 2021
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors,
I red carefully correction based on the reviewer's suggestion for the manuscript
entitled "Changing phenotype, early clinical course and clinical predictors of
inflammatory
bowel disease in Sri Lanka: a retrospective, tertiary care-based, multi-centre
study''
All the reviewer's comment are adequately addressed in this new version of the
manuscript, however I have myself a few more comments that the author's may
consider to enrich their work
1-Please 
clearly specify the aim of the study in the abstract
2-In the introduction the authors highlight the necessity to study the transition of
phenotypes and disease characteristics from the early course of the disease
epidemiology from the low- and middle -income countries. Selection bias
represented by including only tertiary centers (as pointed in limitations) could
impacted significantly 
some results, especially the ECC. Considering that there
are no International database available in Sri Lanka, is there any data about the
IBD incidence in the country to predict the ratio of patient analyzed 
in this
study? 
3A-In methods please specify if the patient from each center ''were recruited
until the desired sample size was obtained or until the end on of study period''.
All centers should have adopted the same methods for selection of patients. 
3B- Please describe how you calculated the ''desired sample size in this study.''
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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?
No
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Yes
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Yes
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from apparent manipulation?
Yes