Review for 10.1186/s12876-020-01522-6 (2020)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a predictor of survival in cirrhotic
patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding: a retrospective study
Version: 
0 
Date: 
19 Sep 2020
Reviewer's report:
BMGE-D-20-00955
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a predictor of survival in cirrhotic patients
with
acute gastrointestinal bleeding: a retrospective study
The authors enrolled consecutive cirrhotic patients with acute gastrointestinal
bleeding and allocated them into the derivation (n=593) and validation (n=350)
cohorts. They found that HDL-C is a potential indicator for the prognosis of
patients with cirrhosis and acute gastrointestinal bleeding. The new algorithm
based on HDL-C allowed an accurate predictive assessment of 6-week mortality
after bleeding attack. This study design and statistical analyses are appropriate.
However, there are some issues to be clarified: 
Major comments
1. Results, the 1st paragraph: How was the patients randomly enrolled into the
derivation and validation cohorts? The numbers of the two cohorts are 593 and
350, respectively. Furthermore, in Discussion, the 3rd paragraph, it was shown
that to validate a prognostic system, the analyses excluded prognostic variables
that could not be available at the initial patient evaluation, such as the source of
bleeding…….that in this regard, the allocation of patients is not really random.
Minor comments
1. Patients, the end of the 1st paragraph: Please provide the approval number
issued by the Ethics Commmittee.
2. Table 2: please provide the number of patients that received TIPS.
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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?
Yes
Is the use of statistics and treatment of uncertainties appropriate?
Yes
Is the presentation of the work clear?
Yes
Are the images in this manuscript (including electrophoretic gels and blots) free
from apparent manipulation?
Yes