Review for 10.1186/1471-230X-2-3 (2002)

Reviewer's□report 
□Analysis□of□gallstones□from□children□and□adults□using□spectroscopic□methods Title: 
Authors: 
oleg□kleiner□( finaly@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
jagannathan□ramesh□( jram@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
mahmoud□huleihel□( mahmoudh@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
beny□cohen□( bcohen@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
keren□kantarovich□( kerenk@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
chen□levi□( chenl@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
boris□polyak□( polyak@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
robert□s□marks□( rsmarks@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
jacov□mordehai□( mordehai@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
zahavi□cohen□( zahavic@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
shaul□mordechai□( shaulm@bgumail.bgu.ac.il )
□1□ □13□Dec□2001 Version: Date: 
□Judith□Mourant Reviewer: 
□A□paper□of□considerable□general□medical□or□scientific□interest Level□of□interest: 
□Unable□to□decide□on□acceptance□or□rejection□until□the□authors□have□responded□ Advice□on□publication: 
to□the□compulsory□revisions 
Review□of□"Analysis□of□gallstones□from□children□and□adults□using□spectroscopic□methods"□Kleiner□et□al.□ 
Quality□of□English:□would□benefit□from□some□editing,□but□acceptable□for□publication□if□that□is□a□large□ 
burden□ 
Specific□comments□ 
1.□The□end□of□the□first□paragraph□is□somewhat□confusing.□The□authors□state□that□there□are□three□main□ 
types□of□stones,□white,□black□and□brown,□then□immediately□begin□talking□about□mixed□stones.□The□ 
authors□should□describe□how□mixed□stones□relate□to□the□classification□of□white,□black□and□brown.□ 2.□In□the□second□paragraph□the□authors□imply□that□diagnosis□of□cancer□types□such□as□lung,□breast□and□ colon□by□FTIR□spectroscopy□has□become□a□reality.□To□my□knowledge,□FTIR□spectroscopy□is□not□yet□ 
being□used□as□a□diagnostic□tool□in□medical□clinics.□ 
3.□In□the□third□paragraph□the□authors□need□to□give□references□when□they□state□that□there□are□reports□in□ the□literature□on□the□FTIR□characterization□of□gallstones□from□adults.□ 4.□Section□2.1:□The□abbreviations□GSD□and□SUMC□need□to□be□defined.□ 
5.□Section□2.1:□The□phrase,□"Helsinki□agreement□was□obtained"□needs□to□be□described.□ 
6.□Section□2.2:□The□authors□state□that□only□spectra□having□a□signal□to□noise□above□800□were□used□in□this□ study.□How□was□signal□to□noise□quantified?□The□signal□to□noise□of□an□FTIR□spectrum□often□varies□with□ 
wavenumber,□what□wavenumber□range□was□used?□ 
7.□Section□3.1:□Should□apitate□be□apatite?□ 
8.□Section□3.3:□The□first□sentence□could□be□confusing□in□that□the□reader□might□think□there□were□12□mixed□ 
and□black□stones.□It□should□be□stated□that□there□was□only□one□mixed□stone.□ 
9.□Section□3.4:□The□authors□state□that□the□cholesterol□content□was□much□higher□in□the□green□stone□than□ 
the□mixed□stone.□The□relevant□spectra□are□Fig.□4b:□II□and□Fig.□5B:□II□and□IIII.□There□is□no□way□to□tell□from□ these□figures□that□cholesterol□is□higher□in□the□green□stone□that□the□mixed□stone.□The□authors□should□ check□that□their□statement□is□correct□and□add□relative□units□to□the□graph□axes□so□that□spectra□in□different□ 
figures□can□be□compared.□ 
10.□Section□3.4□Both□the□outside□surface□and□the□inside□of□a□green□stone□were□measured.□How□was□this□ done?□ 11.□Section□3.5□discusses□results□of□measuring□the□entire□brown□stone□by□FTIR-ATR□and□of□measuring□ 
the□surface□of□a□brown□stone□by□FTIR.□More□details□of□how□the□measurements□were□done□need□to□be□ 
given.□Typically□ATR□measurements□only□penetrate□a□few□microns□into□the□substance□being□measured,□ how□was□the□whole□stone□measured?□ 12.□Section□3.6□and□Figure□7:□It□needs□to□be□stated□that□the□stones□were□cut.□The□contrast□in□Fig.□7□also□ 
needs□to□improve.□Finally,□on□pg.□8,□the□text□should□read□"Figure□7a□&□b"□instead□of□"Figures□6a□and□b".□ 
13.□Discussion□1st□paragraph:□The□authors□imply□that□spectroscopic□techniques□have□provided□some□ clues□to□the□pathogenesis□of□gallstones.□Examples□of□these□clues□need□to□be□concisely□stated□or□ references□to□the□literature□provided.□ 
14.□Discussion□2nd□paragraph:□The□authors□state□that□the□higher□cholesterol□level□in□Type□I□stones□than□ 
type□II□stones□seen□in□Fig.□1□was□consistently□observed□in□other□black□stones.□This□statement□should□be□ made□more□quantitatively.□For□example,□what□is□the□mean□and□standard□deviation□of□the□2800□-□3000□ /cm□absorption□bands□for□all□of□the□type□I□stones□as□compared□to□the□type□II□stones?□ 
15.□Discussion□2nd□paragraph:□It□is□stated□that□the□bilirubin□content□of□the□black□stones□is□higher□than□ 
that□of□the□brown□stones□in□children.□No□data□was□shown□for□brown□stones□in□children.□What□is□the□basis□ for□that□statement?□ 16.□Discussion□3rd□paragraph:□A□reference□should□be□given□for□the□clinical□data□base□numbers□or□the□ 
numbers□should□be□stated□in□a□table.□ 
17.□Discussion□4th□paragraph:□The□authors□state□that□there□are□more□white□stones□in□adults□than□in□ children□and□then□state□that□the□composition□of□stones□in□children□and□adults□is□similar.□The□second□ statement□should□be□clarified□to□"the□composition□of□a□given□type□of□stone□is□similar□in□adults□and□ 
children".□ 
18.□Discussion□5th□paragraph:□A□reference□for□the□statement□that□copper□is□reported□to□be□present□in□ brown□stones□should□be□given.□ 19.□Figure□1.□The□technique□of□vector□normalization□should□either□be□stated□in□the□methods□or□a□ 
reference□given.□ 
20.□Fig.□6a□talks□about□the□"same□patient".□Which□patient?□ 
Competing□interests: 
None□declared.