JerMa88/BMC_Gastroenterology_Peer_Reviews huggingface dataset:
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03777-3 (2025)

Title: Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–
2020
Version: 1 Date: 01 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Amira A A Othman
Reviewer's report:
First of all
I want to congratulate the authors on their work. In this study, Zheng et al. aimed to evaluate the
association between the Cardiometabolic Index (CMI) and the prevalence of gallstones using
data from the NHANES 2017–2020 dataset. The study included 5,421 participants, with 571
reporting gallstones. Logistic regression analyses revealed that individuals in the highest quartile
of CMI had a 90% higher risk of developing gallstones than those in the lowest quartile (OR =
1.90; 95% CI: 1.37-2.62, P < 0.0001). The relationship was nonlinear, with a significant increase
in gallstone risk when CMI was below 0.85 (OR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.62-4.19), but no additional
risk increases beyond this threshold. The study highlights CMI as a potential predictive marker
for gallstone risk, supporting its integration into clinical assessments for early detection and
prevention.
The authors tried to contribute to this field of research with new findings, nevertheless, there is
an observation for which sufficient justification must be obtained.
In general:
1. The English writing level is shallow, and it is necessary to seek help from an English language
specialist to correct spelling and grammatical errors in the entire text.
2. Abbreviations must be fully written at their first appearance.
3. Eliminate repetitive statements.
In title:
4. I suggest a more specific title such as “Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone
Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–2020”.
In Abstract:
5. The abstract should briefly state the study's novelty, emphasizing that this is the first study
linking CMI to gallstones.
6. The abstract results statistical analysis could be streamlined for clarity.
7. The abstract conclusion should be more precise in recommending CMI as a clinical tool.
In Introduction:
8. State the NHANES dataset.
9. Emphasis on why previous markers of gallstone risk are insufficient would strengthen the
rationale for using CMI.
10. Provide a clearer hypothesis and aim of study at the end of the introduction to guide the
reader.
In Methods:
11. Improve the readability of inclusion and exclusion criteria.
12. The statistical methods, particularly the nonlinear modeling, should be briefly justified.
In Results:
13. Provide a table summarizing key statistical findings to improve readability.
14. which groups were most affected in subgroup analysis.
In Discussion:
15. Compare findings to previous studies on gallstone risk and metabolic indicators.
16. Biological mechanisms linking CMI to gallstones need further explanation.
17. The limitations section should consider self-reported data bias in gallstone diagnosis.
18. Discuss future longitudinal studies and clinical implications of CMI as a screening tool.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03777-3 (2025)

Title: Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–
2020
Version: 3 Date: 18 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
I have a significant concern regarding the diagnosis of gallstones being based on self-reporting,
as this introduces a major source of bias that could seriously undermine the study’s validity.
However, I acknowledge that in an exploratory study utilizing a large database such as
NHANES, alternative methods may not be feasible. Given the potential impact of self-reported
diagnoses on the findings, I strongly recommend explicitly mentioning this limitation in the
abstract to ensure readers are fully aware of it.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03777-3 (2025)

Title: Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–
2020
Version: 3 Date: 20 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Amira A A Othman
Reviewer's report:
I want to extend my congratulations to all those involved in this work. All the required
amendments have already been made carefully and satisfactorily. I hope that the research will
be presented to science.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03777-3 (2025)

Title: Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–
2020
Version: 4 Date: 27 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Erfan Arabpour
Reviewer's report:
Dear authors,
Thank you for addressing the provided comments. As highlighted by the other respected
reviewer, a significant limitation of the study is the reliance on self-reported data for the presence
of gallstones. I believe it would be more appropriate to include this point in the methods section
of the abstract, rather than presenting it as a limitation in the conclusions section.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03777-3 (2025)

Title: Cardiometabolic Index as a Predictor of Gallstone Risk: Evidence from NHANES 2017–
2020
Version: 4 Date: 27 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Amira A A Othman
Reviewer's report:
I want to extend my congratulations to all those involved in this work. All the required
amendments have already been made carefully and satisfactorily. I hope that the research will
be presented to science.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03804-3 (2025)

Title: A Randomized Open Label Pilot Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Two Dosing Regimens
of Rifamycin SV MMX in the Treatment of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Version: 5 Date: 30 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
The topic of the original investigation is hot.
However, the small sample size, the lack of side-effects information are issue for the
investigation.  Indeed, this is a honest one.
Figures quality is poor: e.g., SD bars are missing; perhaps, you can use grey scale figures ?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03786-2 (2025)

Title: The role of Triglyceride Glucose-Waist Circumference (TyG_WC) in predicting
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease among individuals with hyperuricemia
Version: 2 Date: 30 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for inviting me to review this manuscript assessing the predictive effect of
Triglyceride Glucose-Waist Circumference (TyG_WC)  on MASLD in hyperuricemic patients.
The paper has a big sample size and is well-prepared. Figures and tables correctly fit, and are
clear. Overall, in my opinion, authors made a good job preparing this manuscript.
I have some minor comments that I believe would improve this manuscript:
1- The introduction has very long paragraphs. Authors should split this into different paragraphs,
and summarize to reach their point.
2- The last paragraph of the introduction should summarize the objectives of this study in a
straight forward manner.
3- Methodology and results are well prepared.
4- The discussion would benefit from more references. It also needs shortening at some places,
as there was long paragraphs and it could be straight to the point.
5- The paper needs a conclusion that summarizes the work, and mentions the future perspectives.
In addition, authors should suggest future directions for research.
Good luck
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03786-2 (2025)

Title: The role of Triglyceride Glucose-Waist Circumference (TyG_WC) in predicting
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease among individuals with hyperuricemia
Version: 2 Date: 01 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Salam Bennouar
Reviewer's report:
Manuscript ID: 974563b4-aaae-4f87-913b-140a84b06686
Title: The role of Triglyceride Glucose-Waist Circumference (TyG_WC) in predicting
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease among individuals with hyperuricemia
Journal: BMC Gastroenterology
I have read attentively the manuscript. My comments are as follows:
The article is well drafted, and the statistical analyses are original and fairly robust. However,
major limitations were noted, particularly in relation to the MASLD definition, the TYG-WC
index retained as a predictor, and certain variables included in the multivariate adjustment:
details are presented below:
Major comments:
1- The study findings indicate that the OR of the TYG-WC index in predicting the risk of
MASLD was 118. Regrettably, this unusually high OR does not attest the highly predictive
capacity of this index, but rather reflects the major issue of this study, which lies in the choice
of the index. Indeed, this index represents a key component of the MASLD definition, which
explains the strong and not surprising relationship between this disease and this index. In this
study, the most recent consensus definition of MASLD was used, combining the presence of
hepatic steatosis with at least two of the metabolic syndrome components. Indeed, the TYG-
WC index formula combines three of the metabolic syndrome components (glucose, triglyceride
and waist circumference), making obvious the strong association highlighted. If it were the
association with NAFLD, defined solely by the presence of hepatic steatosis, the problem would
not arise.
Another concern relates to the choice of confounding variables, in particular diabetes, which is
strongly auto-correlated with glycaemia; a component of the TYG-WC Index, thus potentially
clouding the found results.
2- Given the close link between hyper-uricemia and impaired renal function, patients with severe
and end-stage renal failure, as well as dialysis patients, should be excluded.
3- Anti-hypertensive treatments, such as diuretics, are known to have a hyper-uricemic effect.
This treatment should be documented, and used in multiple adjustments of multivariate analyses.
Minor comments:
1- The method section should begin with the design of the study and the included population,
before presenting the studied variables.
2- Abbreviations should be detailed when first used in the text.
3- Assay methods for biochemical parameters should be cited.
4- The values defining hyperuricemia are consensual and should be indicated in the methods
section: 70mg/l for men and 60mg/l for women.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03822-1 (2025)

Title: The prevalence of Barrett 's esophagus in Iranian patients with gastrointestinal symptoms:
a systematic review and meta-analysis
Version: 2 Date: 04 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
In 2024, a more comprehensive study was published that presents significant advantages and
differences compared to the study under review. It is recommended that this reference be
carefully reviewed and utilized in the article, as no citation to this similar work has been made:
Reference:
Saha B, Vantanasiri K, Mohan BP, Goyal R, Garg N, Gerberi D, Kisiel JB, Singh S, Iyer
PG. Prevalence of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma With and Without
Gastroesophageal Reflux: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2024 Jul;22(7):1381-1394.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.10.006. Epub 2023 Oct 24. PMID:
37879525; PMCID: PMC11039569.
1. The abstract mentions that seven studies were included, whereas the main text states that eight
studies were incorporated into the meta-analysis. This inconsistency should be corrected to align
with the actual data.
2. References should be accurate and precise. For instance, in the second paragraph of the
introduction, references 2 to 5 are cited, but it is unclear if these four references cover the
entire paragraph. It would be better to specify exactly which statements are sourced from each
reference. All in-text citations should be thoroughly reviewed and corrected as needed.
3. The manuscript should accurately refer to tables, graphs, and appendices. For example, it
is mentioned that the qualitative assessment of articles is provided in the appendix, but the
specific appendix number is not indicated. All appendices must be correctly cited in the text,
and appropriate explanations should be given.
4. The results section is quite incomplete. For instance, no explanation is provided in the text
for section B of Graph 2. Detailed descriptions of each graph and the analyses conducted should
be included to ensure the reader fully understands the findings.
5. The results section lacks any subgroup analyses, such as those based on gender or other factors.
Including subgroup analyses would enhance the understanding of variations and provide more
comprehensive insights into the findings.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03822-1 (2025)

Title: The prevalence of Barrett 's esophagus in Iranian patients with gastrointestinal symptoms:
a systematic review and meta-analysis
Version: 3 Date: 16 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
1-Add more details about the description of figures.
2-Add description about table 2 contents such as a* and a** ,... under the table.
3-Define a range for the prevalence of BE in various study  and add in the result section.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03803-4 (2025)

Title: Association between wet-bulb globe temperature with peptic ulcer disease in different
geographic regions in a large Taiwanese population study
Version: 2 Date: 30 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
1#The map in Figure 1 should include coordinates to provide a more comprehensive
understanding of the geographical locations relevant to the study.
2#The introduction section of the article lacks a literature review on the relationship between
WBGT and PUD. If there is limited research in this area, it would be beneficial to also
review studies examining the association between WBGT and other health outcomes, thereby
highlighting the innovation and necessity of this research.
3#The description of the predictive model in the methods section could be more detailed.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03803-4 (2025)

Title: Association between wet-bulb globe temperature with peptic ulcer disease in different
geographic regions in a large Taiwanese population study
Version: 2 Date: 11 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
This study aimed to explore the association between wet-bulb globe temperature and peptic
ulcer disease among different geographical regions of Taiwan. Although this study is interesting,
several ambiguous points remain. Please see the comments below.
1. In abstract, the detailed method is unclear regarding which model was used to examine the
association. Moreover, reporting odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals seems
to be better than reporting the p-value.
2. In method section, a diagram illustrating the selection of final participants through inclusion
and exclusion criteria must be added.
3. In the section of “Definition of PUD”, the specific criteria that used to classify the participants
into PUD and non-PUD groups must be explained intensively.
4. In the result section, the combined number of men and women is not equal to the total number
of participants. Please check that again carefully.
5. In Table 3, what is the reason for the difference in the association between WBGT and PUD
at different time intervals in Northern Taiwan, where a negative association was found for the
noon period and a marginally positive association was observed for the working period? This
must be further discussed.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03803-4 (2025)

Title: Association between wet-bulb globe temperature with peptic ulcer disease in different
geographic regions in a large Taiwanese population study
Version: 2 Date: 18 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for this opportunity to review this interesting paper, which focus on the impacts of
wbgt on PUD in Taiwan. The findings are relatively interesting, while there may still exist some
concerns.
Introduction
1. The introduction cites evidence linking increased PUD risk to cold temperatures, whereas
WBGT is traditionally utilized to assess heat exposure. Given that the study focuses on daytime
temperatures, the rationale for selecting WBGT over ambient temperature, which may more
accurately capture cold effects, requires clarification.
Methods:
2. Study participants: Is there available data on socioeconomic status, such as household income
or social deprivation indices?
3. Study design: The manuscript should specify whether the study design is cohort or cross-
sectional. Additionally, clarify if only baseline data were utilized.
4. Fig1. Better to show minimum analytic units used in this study. I think it is township.
5. PUD definition: Has the PUD diagnosis undergone validation? If so, what is the accuracy of
this validation?
6. Statistical analysis: Including only variables that reach statistical significance in multivariable
models is generally discouraged, as univariable analyses may not capture the complete context.
It is advisable to incorporate all potential confounders and report the corresponding results.
Moreover, the assumption of a linear relationship appears arbitrary; exploring potential non-
linear associations is recommended.
Results:
7. Presenting pooled results for the entirety of Taiwan would provide readers with a
comprehensive understanding of the relationship under investigation.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03803-4 (2025)

Title: Association between wet-bulb globe temperature with peptic ulcer disease in different
geographic regions in a large Taiwanese population study
Version: 2 Date: 19 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for the opportunity to review this revised manuscript. The authors utilized data from
the Taiwan Biobank to investigate the association between temperature and peptic ulcer disease.
The responses to previous comments are generally satisfactory, and the manuscript is well-
written. The dataset, study design, and modeling strategies appropriately support the research
objectives. I appreciate the authors’ efforts. I have the following major comments for the editors
and authors to consider:
1, The health effects of ambient temperature are typically non-linear, which is why previous
studies have employed non-linear models to assess these impacts. In this study, however,
temperature was modeled as a linear variable, with results presented as the risk per unit increase.
It would be beneficial for the authors to provide a stronger justification for this approach or, at
the very least, acknowledge its limitations.
2, The Taiwan Biobank is an excellent and valuable dataset, containing comprehensive
information on lifestyle factors, sociodemographics, and even genetic data. I am vert interested
in this dataset. Given the richness of this dataset, there is significant potential for a more in-
depth investigation, including mechanistic insights that could enhance the study's contribution
to the field.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03803-4 (2025)

Title: Association between wet-bulb globe temperature with peptic ulcer disease in different
geographic regions in a large Taiwanese population study
Version: 3 Date: 01 Mar 2025
Reviewer's report:
I appreciate the authors' efforts in incorporating nonlinear analysis. As expected, the results
clearly demonstrate that the associations between WBGT and the risk of PUD across different
regions of Taiwan are consistently nonlinear. Notably, a potential U-shaped relationship was
observed in some regions, which contradicts the main results where WBGT was modeled as a
linear variable.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03813-2 (2025)

Title: Construction and validation of a novel nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph
nodes to predict cancer-specific survival in elderly patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after
radical surgery
Version: 2 Date: 15 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
I thank the authors for their time and efforts to revise their manuscript. I have a minor comment
below. Since the N stage was not an independent prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis
results, why should the N stage be included in the final predictive model? Could you please
explain the N stage in the nomogram. Why N1 get more points than N2?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03813-2 (2025)

Title: Construction and validation of a novel nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph
nodes to predict cancer-specific survival in elderly patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after
radical surgery
Version: 2 Date: 21 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Heng-Fu Lin
Reviewer's report:
I thought all the comments that the reviewers gave have been well-addressed. I have no more
comments and publication of this article in the journal is  suggested.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03813-2 (2025)

Title: Construction and validation of a novel nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph
nodes to predict cancer-specific survival in elderly patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after
radical surgery
Version: 2 Date: 24 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Mohan Khadka
Reviewer's report:
The revised manuscript looks good. As the author realizes that the study is retrospective in
nature, therefore a prospective possibly multicenter study is needed to validate the result and
outcome before recommending the validated novel nomogram for clinical implementation.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03813-2 (2025)

Title: Construction and validation of a novel nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph
nodes to predict cancer-specific survival in elderly patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after
radical surgery
Version: 3 Date: 06 Mar 2025
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for your additional work on revising this paper. The authors have addressed all of
my comments and questions.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03800-7 (2025)

Title: In vitro susceptibility of clinical Clostridioides difficile isolates in Israel to metronidazole,
vancomycin, fidaxomicin, ridinilazole and ibezapolstat
Version: 3 Date: 18 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Korakrit Imwattana
Reviewer's report:
Since the resistance prevalence to MTZ and VAN is low and given that the authors used a
different AST method, did the authors confirm the results with an alternative method?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03800-7 (2025)

Title: In vitro susceptibility of clinical Clostridioides difficile isolates in Israel to metronidazole,
vancomycin, fidaxomicin, ridinilazole and ibezapolstat
Version: 3 Date: 24 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
Overall comments
The authors present a study that evaluated the in vitro effectiveness of two new antibiotics,
ridinilazole (RDZ) and ibezpolstat (IBZ), against 313 clinical isolates of C. difficile in Israel.
Results showed very low resistance to currently used antibiotics and activity of both RDZ and
IBZ across various strain types.
The manuscript would benefit from English proofreading; there are many missing articles and
some typos.
Although authors performed whole genome sequencing, only sequence type was determined
from this valuable data. The authors should at least investigate mechanisms of resistance
in isolates showing resistance to currently used antimicrobials (see the source for molecular
determinants already published PMID: 38598696)
Specific comments
Title: the title should reflect also susceptibility testing to currently used antimicrobials
line 26: different sequence types
Line 31: fidaxomicin resistance is not mentioned!
line 38: this was not investigated in this study, so it cannot be the study's conclusion.
line 65: "lower concentration needed for treatment" There is no such comparative study.
line 65: CDI recurrence rate
lines 72-73: typos
line 84: "insuperiority" should be " nonsuperiority"?
Line 136: delete technique
line 140: discuss this media use, which cannot detect hem-dependent metronidazole resistance
(PMID: 37438331)
Line 144: ECOFFs?
No control strains were used for AST?
Line 165: submit your data to the PubMLST database and the curator will assign a new ST
number.
Discussion:
a large part of the discussion is dedicated to ST distribution and prevalence, but this was not
the aim of the study. This section should be shortened using a reference to review summarising
epidemiology in the region (PMID: 35240336).
lines 256-258: none of this was investigated in your isolates why iis it discussed?
line 300: ECOFF
Line 353: Helsinki?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03800-7 (2025)

Title: In vitro susceptibility of clinical Clostridioides difficile isolates in Israel to metronidazole,
vancomycin, fidaxomicin, ridinilazole and ibezapolstat
Version: 3 Date: 25 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
Dear authors, thank you for the opportunity to read the results of your research. CDI still
represents a significant healthcare problem, primarily due to the high recurrence rate, resulting
from unsuccessful treatment.
Therefore, research on the application of new therapeutic options is extremely welcome.
In my opinion, certain clarifications and adjustments to the manuscript are needed before
publication.
Please, read the entire manuscript carefully; in several places IBEZAPOLSTAT is misspelled
as IBEZPOLSTAT (e.g. line 33).
Line 19: please write the full name, because the bacterium is mentioned here for the first time
Furthermore, replace "E-test" (which is a trademark of the manufacturer Biomerieux), please
use the name "gradient strip test" (e.g. line 38).
Line 50: delete "onset"
Line 109: add references for these definitions
Methods
Please change places in the manuscript by first writing "Bacterial isolation and identification",
and then "MLST"
Figures and Tables
Please write the title before each figure, and below the figure a "legend" with explanations of
the content of the figure.
Figure 1: The icons with colors are too small, please enlarge them for easier understanding.
Discussion
The discussion is too broad, the authors are re-presenting all the results. Please, significantly
shorten the discussion by comparing your most significant results with the results of other
authors.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03779-1 (2025)

Title: Clinical application and effectiveness analysis of modified Asia-Pacific colorectal cancer
screening score combined with fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening in
asymptomatic population
Version: 0 Date: 16 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for the opportunity to review this manuscript. The study presents valuable findings
on the effectiveness of the modified Asia-Pacific Colorectal Cancer Screening (APCS) score
combined with the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The
research is relevant and well-structured, but several areas require clarification and refinement
before publication.
I appreciate the authors’ efforts and look forward to the revised version.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03779-1 (2025)

Title: Clinical application and effectiveness analysis of modified Asia-Pacific colorectal cancer
screening score combined with fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening in
asymptomatic population
Version: 0 Date: 24 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
1. Investigating the risk factors for LN metastasis in  patients with stage T1 CRC is a topic that
is not related to the parimary objetive of this study. I  recommend excluding this issue.
2. The AUC value of modified APCS score combined with FOBT is higher than that of modified
APCS score and FOBT alone, but the 95% CIs overlap. Can you statistically prove that there
is a difference?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03779-1 (2025)

Title: Clinical application and effectiveness analysis of modified Asia-Pacific colorectal cancer
screening score combined with fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening in
asymptomatic population
Version: 1 Date: 10 Mar 2025
Reviewer's report:
I have no further comments. You have sufficiently addressed my concerns.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03779-1 (2025)

Title: Clinical application and effectiveness analysis of modified Asia-Pacific colorectal cancer
screening score combined with fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening in
asymptomatic population
Version: 1 Date: 10 Mar 2025
Reviewer:  Anwar Ashraf Abouelnasr
Reviewer's report:
The responses are satisfactory
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03797-z (2025)

Title: CDH1 genetic variants and its aberrant expression are the risk factors for colorectal cancer
metastasis
Version: 3 Date: 01 Nov 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. Please increase the number of study cases.
2. Please exclude the number of non-adenocarcinoma cases#and add cases of adenoma.
3. In vitro and in vivo studies  should be added.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03797-z (2025)

Title: CDH1 genetic variants and its aberrant expression are the risk factors for colorectal cancer
metastasis
Version: 3 Date: 03 Nov 2024
Reviewer:  Amira Jaballah-Gabteni
Reviewer's report:
I found this work to be very interesting and well-written. The topic is highly relevant, and your
findings contribute significantly to the field.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03797-z (2025)

Title: CDH1 genetic variants and its aberrant expression are the risk factors for colorectal cancer
metastasis
Version: 3 Date: 09 Dec 2024
Reviewer:  Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors,
Thank you for sharing your manuscript, "CDH1 genetic variants and its aberrant expression are
the risk factors for colorectal cancer metastasis." I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would like
to commend you on the depth of your research and the clarity of your writing. The study provides
valuable insights into the role of CDH1 polymorphisms in colorectal cancer, and I found the
methodology and discussion well-articulated.
That said, I have a concern regarding the genotyping study. In my view, a sample size of
99 patients may limit the accuracy and generalizability of the findings. Genotyping studies,
particularly those exploring associations with complex traits like cancer susceptibility, often
require larger sample sizes to achieve sufficient statistical power and account for population
variability. This is especially important to ensure the robustness of conclusions about genetic
polymorphisms and their clinical implications.
I appreciate the work you've put into this research and encourage you to consider expanding the
sample size in future studies or performing additional analyses (e.g., meta-analysis or validation
cohorts) to strengthen the impact of your findings.
Thank you for the opportunity to review your manuscript. I look forward to seeing more of your
excellent research in this field.
Best regards,
Ehsan
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03797-z (2025)

Title: CDH1 genetic variants and its aberrant expression are the risk factors for colorectal cancer
metastasis
Version: 3 Date: 05 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
This study identified the association between the CDH1-160C>A SNP and colorectal cancer
(CRC) development and progression, exploring how the downregulation of E-cadherin
contributes to intestinal carcinogenesis and metastasis, with the aim of identifying potential
molecular mechanisms and early diagnostic biomarkers.
We recommend addressing following points for the article more informative.
First, the detailed mechanisms by which the CDH1-160 polymorphism influences E-cadherin
transcription and expression are not fully explored. Factors like transcription factor binding or
epigenetic modifications should be considered.
The study focuses solely on CDH1 but does not consider the roles of other key genes (e.g., APC,
KRAS, p53) in CRC progression and metastasis. Examining potential interactions with other
genetic factors would provide a more comprehensive understanding.
Finally, E-cadherin expression is evaluated using a semi-quantitative scale, which lacks
precision. Incorporating quantitative techniques such as digital image analysis or fluorescence
intensity measurements would enhance accuracy.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03808-z (2025)

Title: Association between Sarcopenia and the Prevalence of Gallstone in US Adults: A Cross-
Sectional Analysis of NHANES
Version: 0 Date: 17 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
In line 120
## We found that sarcopenia individuals were more likely to be male, higer BMI, non-
smokers, and less likely to have comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and
hypercholesterolemia.
Is the statement correct?
## Is the term " the risk of gall stone  appropriate?
It seems the prevalance of gall stone.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03808-z (2025)

Title: Association between Sarcopenia and the Prevalence of Gallstone in US Adults: A Cross-
Sectional Analysis of NHANES
Version: 0 Date: 19 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Debashis Misra
Reviewer's report:
At the outset, I would like to congratulate the authors for choosing this topic.
I find the writing lucid and objective.
I would like to have following comments /observations related to the article
1. Inclusion criteria not well described- which subjects from survey were included? Statement/
s for inclusion criteria would be appreciated.
2. As per the Table 1 of baseline characteristics, the patients with sarcopenia had higher BMI
but same group of patients had less frequently the components of metabolic syndrome (diabetes/
hypertension/ dyslipidaemia): it seems like a paradox.
Explanation from authors would be appreciated
3. Grammatical mistakes in spelling needs to be corrected.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03808-z (2025)

Title: Association between Sarcopenia and the Prevalence of Gallstone in US Adults: A Cross-
Sectional Analysis of NHANES
Version: 0 Date: 23 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
The study is generally well written and makes good points.
It would be beneficial to include dietary data from the NHANES database in the analysis (if
possible).
It would be appropriate to make more recommendations for daily medical practice with this data
in the conclusion section.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03794-2 (2025)

Title: Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP): A Prognostic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer
Linked to Immune Infiltration
Version: 3 Date: 27 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
1:Although the biological information part of the research is relatively simple and routine, but
fortunately there are basic experiments can prove the relevant issues of the subject.
2:It is hoped that in future studies, the authors can investigate more association between LBP
gene and hub gene in PPI network.
3:In future studies, multiple machine learning models can be used to reduce the robustness of
the model to better prove the predictive benefit of genes.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03794-2 (2025)

Title: Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP): A Prognostic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer
Linked to Immune Infiltration
Version: 3 Date: 04 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
1. Language and writing editing are required.
2. The experiment type of GSE51575 is expression profiling by array, not RNA sequencing.
Specify the type of experiment.
3. The experiment type of GSE118916 is expression profiling by array. Specify the type of
experiment.
4. It is necessary to mention the packages used in the R software in the analysis of differentially
expressed genes.
5. The order of referring to figures in the text of the results needs to be corrected (Fig. 2G, Fig.
2F)
6. References from 2024 do not appear in this manuscript.
7. Given that previous studies have pointed to the role of LBP in gastric cancer, identify what
is the innovation of your work and compare it with existing sources.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03794-2 (2025)

Title: Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP): A Prognostic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer
Linked to Immune Infiltration
Version: 3 Date: 05 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Anwar Ashraf Abouelnasr
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors, please address the following points below
-While the abstract mentions LBP's involvement in various cancers (lung, colon, and cervical),
a more detailed discussion of LBP’s role in other cancers would strengthen the case for its study
in GC. Specifically, a short mention of what is known about LBP’s mechanistic contributions
to other cancers could provide a better context.
-The introduction alludes to LBP's potential role in GC pathogenesis but could clarify whether
the research aims to establish causal or merely associative relationships between LBP and GC.
This would refine the hypothesis and make the study's objectives clearer to the reader.
-While the RNA sequencing data acquisition is well-described, more information on data quality
control would be beneficial. Specifically, how were low-quality samples or outliers handled
before analysis? Providing this detail would increase the transparency of the data processing
pipeline.
-While the cell lines used are mentioned, it would be helpful to provide more information about
their relevance to GC. Are these cell lines representative of different subtypes of gastric cancer?
A brief description of their characteristics would add context to the experimental design.
-While the manuscript suggests several mechanisms through which LBP contributes to gastric
cancer, the mechanistic details could be more fleshed out. Specifically, the signaling pathways
such as NF-#B and STAT3 are mentioned, but a more detailed exploration of how LBP
modulates these pathways in the context of gastric cancer is warranted.
-The paper briefly touches on immune evasion, particularly regarding Tregs and TAMs, but
more in-depth discussion on the molecular interactions between LBP and immune cells would
strengthen the narrative. How exactly does LBP recruit or influence the polarization of these
immune cells? Are there any direct interactions between LBP and immune checkpoints?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03794-2 (2025)

Title: Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP): A Prognostic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer
Linked to Immune Infiltration
Version: 5 Date: 29 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Anwar Ashraf Abouelnasr
Reviewer's report:
The responses are satisfactory.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03794-2 (2025)

Title: Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP): A Prognostic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer
Linked to Immune Infiltration
Version: 5 Date: 25 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
It is better to supplement the Western Blotting experiment on the basis of this paper
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03776-4 (2025)

Title: Deciphering the Integrated Immunogenomic Landscape of Colorectal Cancer: Insights
from Mendelian Randomization and Immune-Stratified Molecular Subtyping
Version: 3 Date: 03 Sep 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. The authors did not use FDR or other correction methods, please emphasize the limitation.
2. External Validation set is lacked in the prognostic signature.
3. Colony formation assays: lacked replications and statistical significance.
4. siRNA-lacked Western blot validation.
5. Annexin V-PI result: gate in the upper right corner is currently regarded as expressing
apoptosis with questionable accuracy, and it is suggested that the result be deleted if there is no
discrepancy in the lower right corner.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03776-4 (2025)

Title: Deciphering the Integrated Immunogenomic Landscape of Colorectal Cancer: Insights
from Mendelian Randomization and Immune-Stratified Molecular Subtyping
Version: 4 Date: 11 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
1, Figure 3C, how can we see that the best clustering is 2, these two figures do not seem to prove
that the best clustering is 2, please explain in detail
2, Figure 5G, not clear, I hope the authors upload the original figure, and use at least two cell lines
3# Please list the data used by TCGA-CRC, including survival time, survival status, risk score,
etc. in an excel sheet to make the data transparent.
4. Please keep 3 decimals in the OR (95% Cl) and P-value columns in Fig. 1/2, especially the
P-value, which is a very bad scientific attitude, and 4 decimals in Fig. 3B, please standardize
the whole text.
5. The data in Fig. 5A is in PFKM standardized format, and B is in TPM format, so it is
recommended that the same full text analyze the standardization of the data.
6. You wrote (g) Colony formation assays demonstrated proliferation decreases with GPD1L
inhibition, while the experimental result was that proliferation increased after GPD1L inhibition.
The two conclusions are opposite, please explain in detail.
7, WB experiment validation, only one group was done, it is recommended to repeat the
experiment three times and validate it in two cell lines. GPD1L is already low expression in
tumors, why continue to knock down, if increase its overexpression and observe its proliferation
phenotype, it will be more convincing!
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03767-5 (2025)

Title: The usefulness of percutaneous bile duct metal stent insertion for malignant biliary
obstruction: a retrospective study
Version: 2 Date: 13 Jan 2025
Reviewer's report:
1. It is unacceptable that the authors try to prove a scientifically medical perspective by referring
a study reported more than 20 years ago, which is the first sentence of the article. And most of
the references are very old.
2. Considering that the method in this study was first reported 40 years ago and reported 20 years
ago in Lancet,  and it is still not a popular and regular medical therapy nowadays, even in this
study only 14 patients during 8 years, there is a reasonable explanation of the above situation,
which is “percutaneous bile duct metal stent insertion for malignant biliary obstruction” is  not
useful  and popular in the real medical treatment. The conclusion means that this study may be
with little scientific value.
3. The design of this study is too simple to be published in a magazine with high quality. There
was no comparison test with other treatments, for example, the PTCD.  And there was no follow-
up data to evaluate the long-term complications, such as recurrent fever due to the obstruction
of the stent. Since the sample is very small, a comprehensive analysis should be conducted.
4. To be honest, in China, it is regular to have a bile duct stent insertion for the patients who have
undergone biliary or the digestive tract reconstruction, such as LPD and other gastric surgeries,
by the endoscopic approach.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 1 Date: 14 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. There is no question that Pathologic Complete Response (PCR) after neoadjuvant therapy for
rectal cancer is a favorable prognostic sign.
Was there a routine standardized pre- and post- therapy endoscopic assessment? Watchful
monitoring (see Habr-Gama's work) is an option.
2.  What was the stated aim of the study? Why were age, gender, tumor size, location,
circumferential spread, and CEA cutoff walue considered as prognostic factors? did they affect
treatment choice?
3. What criteria were used to assign patients to treatment  1 or 2?
4. Were the two patient groups comparable in terms of patient and tumor variables?
5. Why did you include in study patients with T2 tumors?
6. Why was CT or MRI used for staging rather than same diagnostic tests?
7. What criteria were used to assign patients to group 1 or 2?
8. Chemotherapy interruptions are obviously not a desirable step. How does such piece of
information add to our knowledge or treatment strategy?
9. A mucinous component is not a modifiable variable.  Does that affect treatment strategy?
10. Age is also not modifiable. Why use 60 y.o. as an age cutoff?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 1 Date: 14 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
Yacoub H. et al report a retrospective single center study of 91 patients with locally advanced
rectal cancer with chemotherapy and radiation. Comparing two approaches, chemotherapy
followed by short course radiation had improved complete pathological response (pCR) rate
compared to patients who were treated with short course radiation followed by chemotherapy
(RAPIDO protocol). On a multivariate analysis, they identified chemotherapy interruption and
the presence of mucinous features to be significant predictors of pCR.
Comments:
1. There are several grammatical and syntax errors throughout the manuscript. It would be best
for the manuscript to be reviewed and edited by a professional language service or a native
English speaker.
2. The authors need to describe their selection criteria for chemoradiation followed by
chemotherapy and vice versa as this might have introduced biases that impact the ability to draw
conclusions on oncologic outcomes.
3. The authors should comment on whether they implement watch and wait approaches as this
has rapidly evolved and incorporated in the management of rectal cancer. This is an important
point that needs to be addressed given the quality of life implications for patients with rectal
cancer.
4. The authors only utilized short course radiotherapy however do not comment on the utilization
of long course radiotherapy which has been shown to be associated with less locoregional
recurrences. This is an important consideration given the previously reported high rates of pCR
after long course chemoradiation followed by chemotherapy.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 1 Date: 23 Dec 2024
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written retrospective study that analysed the predictive factors for pCR in patients
who received two different types of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy regimens.
1) Could the authors please describe the common reasons why chemotherapy was discontinued
in their cohort?
2) Please elaborate more on the limitations of the study.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 2 Date: 25 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Ramakrishnan Ayloor Seshadri
Reviewer's report:
The authors have responded to some of the comments but the changes stated by them have not
been made in the revised highlighted manuscript provided. For example- The title still mentions
chemoradiation which is not an appropriate term to describe the type of radiation used in this
study as pointed out in my comments earlier. This needs to be changed and similar descriptions
(NCRT) used throughout the text also need to be changed
The revised manuscript still does not mention the definition of chemotherapy interruption- was
it a delay of more than 1 wees, 2 weeks, 3 weeks etc? Since this is an important prognostic
factor for pCR it is important to clearly define what is chemotherapy interruption according to
the authors.
While mentioning about the two pathologists and interobserver consistency, could the authors
also mention if both pathologists reviewed every patients and concurred the findings of
pathological complete response?
It is indeed surprising that induction chemotherapy resulted in higher pCR rates than
consolidation chemo. A longer interval between radiation and surgery has been associated with
a higher pCR rates in multiple studies since radiation effect is time dependent. Even the OPRA
trial showed a higher complete response rates in the consolidation chemo arm. In this study the
time interval between RT and surgery was 9 weeks for induction chemo and at least 20 weeks
for consolidation chemo so one would expect higher response in the consolidation arm. Could
the authors discuss why the results are different in this study?
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 2 Date: 02 Feb 2025
Reviewer's report:
I appreciate the opportunity to review this manuscript. I should mention that I did not have the
chance to review the original manuscript. The manuscript in its current form is well written. I
reviewed both the reviewers' comments as well as the authors' comments and it seems to me
that the authors provided good responses. I will empashize that the authors mention that they
do not practice W&W regimen due to scarce evidence. My personal experience is that W&W is
currently being practiced in leading centers around the world. I think that the main flaw of this
manuscript is not being novel enough, especially due to a low number of patients. I recommend
the authors submit it to a local/regional journal.
Review for 10.1186/s12876-025-03709-1 (2025)

Title: Predictors of pathological complete response after total neoadjuvant treatment using short
course radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer
Version: 3 Date: 12 Feb 2025
Reviewer:  Mattia Falchetto Osti
Reviewer's report:
Interesting mono-institutional retrospective series of TNT for LARC where radiation was
delivered with 2 different short term schedules.
Results are in line with published data and confirm efficacy of TNT