Review for 10.1186/s12876-019-1152-4 (2019)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Removal of large middle molecules via haemodialysis w ith medium cut -off membranes at 
lower blood flow rates: An observational prospective study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Oct 2019  
 
Reviewer: Masahide Hamaguchi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
REVIEWER COMMENTS:  
 
Comments to the Editor  
 
Yan Mardianet al. performed a retrospective study to identify sarcopenia as a risk factor for poor 
survival in Indonesian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.  
 
This study encompasses an interesting topic and is a worth to publish in this journal, but it has 
some problems.  
 
1. Figures are low resolution.  
 
2. I guess the term "Low Mean Muscle Attenuation" is not suitable for the title.  
 
3. Authors diagnosed sarcopenia just by muscle volume but didn't evaluate muscular 
function e.g. handgrip measurement or walk  speed. Despite of muscular function 
measurement, authors cannot diagnose sarcopenia.  
 
4. The study design, retrospective study, limits the interpretations. Please discuss it in the 
limitation section.  
 
5. Authors didn't assess the physical activities, ADLs,  oral intakes, or nutritions at the 
baseline of the study. They are also limitations of the study.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the neces sary 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 shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy 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, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any w ay gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 currently 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 al l of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
No 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my nam e will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website alo ng with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made availabl e under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will no t be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal