JerMa88/BMC_Womens_Health_Peer_Reviews huggingface dataset:
Title: Geographical Distribution of MTHFR C677T Gene Polymorphisms among the
Reproductive-age Women in Chinese Han Populations: Based on Migration
Version: 1 Date: 03 Nov 2023
Reviewer's report:
In the manuscript titled Geographical Distribution of MTHFR C677T Gene Polymorphisms
among the Reproductive-age Women in Chinese Han Populations, which based on migration
performed the migrant population gradually changed the prevalence of the MTHFR C677T
polymorphism in Suzhou. The structure of this study is simple, and the sample size is
considerable, but the research purpose is too simple, lack of in-depth discussion and research.
Here are some specific suggestions:
1. The purpose of this study is not clear, and the significance of studying the gene polymorphism
distribution of MTHFR C677T is not significant. It is necessary to combine the gene
polymorphism distribution with some diseases or phenomena.
2. ln the abstract section, “MTHFR C677T polymorphism is associated with several disorders”,
Which diseases are they?
3. ln the introduction section, studies on other diseases associated with MTHFR C677T in China
should be provided. It is best to associate the polymorphic distribution of MTHFR C677T with
a certain disease or phenomenon. The novelty of this study also needs to be added.
4. ln the result section, the authors can provide information on whether the two study groups
are comparable for factors other than regional differences. The results of the association with
disease also need to be added.
5. Please check the reference format, complete page numbers, volume dates, etc.
6 The language expression can be further improved.
Title: Geographical Distribution of MTHFR C677T Gene Polymorphisms among the
Reproductive-age Women in Chinese Han Populations: Based on Migration
Version: 3 Date: 25 May 2024
Reviewer:  Niyaz A. Naykoo
Reviewer's report:
Shen et.al. presented excellent work on "Geographical Distribution of MTHFR C677T Gene
Polymorphisms among the Reproductive-age Women in Chinese Han Populations: Based on
Migration"
This is nice study carried out by Shen et.al. and i congratulate authors for their efforts in
undertaking a comprehensive MTHFR C677T Gene Polymorphisms among 7188 women in
China.
Title: Cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities in low
resource settings: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Version: 1 Date: 30 Apr 2024
Reviewer's report:
I read with great interest the Manuscript titled “Utilization of cervical cancer screening by
cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities: A tertiary-center 42-year study”.
In my opinion, this topic analyzed is interesting enough to attract readers’ attention.
I suggest a few recommendations:
- I suggest a round of language revision, in order to correct few typos and improve readability.
- Considering the state of art of this topic, it would be interesting to consider and discuss
these important points about cervical diseases, referring to: Tullio Golia D’Augè , Ilaria Cuccu,
Andrea Etrusco, Antonio D’Amato, Antonio Simone Laganà, Ottavia D’Oria, Giorgio Bogani,
Violante Di Donato, Ludovico Muzii, Andrea Giannini. State of the art on HPV-related cervical
lesions. doi: 10.36129/jog.2024.161
- In cervical cancer management is crucial an efficacy prevention. I suggest reading and adding
recent evidence about HPV-related lower genital tract lesions and the potential role of ant-HPV
vaccination. I would be glad if the authors discuss this important point, referring to PMID:
37978580.
Because of these reasons, the article should be revised and completed. Considering all these
points, I think it could be of interest to the readers and, in my opinion, it deserves the priority
to be published after minor revisions.
Title: Cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities in low
resource settings: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Version: 1 Date: 30 Apr 2024
Reviewer's report:
The authors report their experience with screening for cervical lesions in a population treated at
the Cairo University Hospital. The results are not impressive, since around 5% of the samples
analyzed showed cytological changes, and the majority of them were minimal lesions. They are
not informed whether there are diagnostic quality control criteria, nor whether the cases were
confirmed by biopsy. The study does not bring anything new to international cervical cancer
prevention guidelines. Perhaps the work can support local protocols for women's health care.
Title: Cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities in low
resource settings: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Version: 1 Date: 05 May 2024
Reviewer:  Kalyani Raju
Reviewer's report:
The study is very good covering a long period and good number of cases.
The manuscript is well written.
However kindly check the keywords and revise .
Title: Cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities in low
resource settings: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Version: 1 Date: 06 May 2024
Reviewer's report:
I read with great interest the Manuscript, which falls within the aim of this Journal. In my honest
opinion, the topic is interesting enough to attract the readers’ attention. Methodology is accurate
and conclusions are supported by the data analysis. Nevertheless, authors should clarify some
point and improve the discussion citing relevant and novel key articles about the topic. Authors
should consider the following recommendations: - Manuscript should be further revised by a
native English speaker. - Inclusion/exclusion criteria should be better clarified. - The authors
have not adequately highlighted the strengths and limitations of their study. I suggest clarifying
these points. - What are the actual clinical implications of this study? it is important to report
the results obtained by the authors in the context of clinical practice and to adequately highlight
what contribution this study adds to the literature already existing on the topic and to future
study perspectives.
Title: Cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities in low
resource settings: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Version: 3 Date: 19 Jun 2024
Reviewer's report:
I read with great interest the Manuscript, which falls within the aim of this Journal.
In my honest opinion, the topic is interesting enough to attract the readers’ attention.
Methodology is accurate and conclusions are supported by the data analysis. Nevertheless,
authors should clarify some point and improve the discussion citing relevant and novel key
articles about the topic.
Authors should consider the following recommendations:
- Manuscript should be further revised by a native English speaker.
- It is a fairly good study; however, the manuscript needs extensive editing, and we suggest you
get assistance from a professional. Moreover, the title should reflect the research question, and
the Keywords should be based on MeSH terms.
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria should be better clarified.
- The authors have not adequately highlighted the strengths and limitations of their study. I
suggest clarifying these points.
- What are the actual clinical implications of this study? it is important to report the results
obtained by the authors in the context of clinical practice and to adequately highlight what
contribution this study adds to the literature already existing on the topic and to future study
perspectives.
- Referring to the following PMID: 37873540, the authors should discuss how cervical
intraepithelial abnormalities and cancer development may also depend on biological problems
arising as a result of complex molecular disorders within the vaginal space, in addition to the
widely known causal effect of human papillomavirus infection. For example, reactive oxygen
species and free radicals are still unknown causative agents and are probably very important
factors in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer development.
- Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, cervical cancer remains a significant health
problem, particularly among young women of reproductive age. The authors should discuss
fertility-sparing treatments for cervical cancers and in particular, referring to the following
PMID: 38674254, should discuss fertility-sparing treatment options for cervical cancers larger
than 2 cm.
Title: “Diagnostic cervical excision in patients with HPV positivity, cytological abnormalities
and preoperative cervical stenosis”.
Version: 2 Date: 03 May 2024
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors,
I have carefully reviewed your manuscript entitled "Diagnostic cervical excision in patients with
HPV positivity and preoperative cervical stenosis", which investigates the diagnostic efficacy of
cervical conization under the constraints of HPV persistence and cervical stenosis in generating
reliable histological diagnoses. The subject is timely and significant given the complexities
in managing cervical dysplasia and carcinoma under such challenging conditions. However,
several enhancements could be made to bolster the impact and clarity of your findings. Below
are my suggestions for revision:
- Clarity and Language: While the manuscript is structured coherently, some sections could
benefit from more precise language to enhance readability and scientific precision. I recommend
a thorough review by a native English speaker.
- Your introduction effectively sets the stage by discussing HPV, cervical stenosis, and their
implications on cytology and colposcopy. To further enrich this section, consider discussing
recent advancements in imaging and diagnostic techniques that improve the detection and
management of cervical pathologies (PMID: 37238248; PMID: 37428263)
- This could provide a more comprehensive background and highlight the manuscript's relevance
within the current scientific landscape. You mention the use of diagnostic conization in cases
of cervical stenosis and HPV persistence. It would be beneficial to integrate new Classification
System for intrauterine adhesions, as it may offer a fresh perspective on the classification and
implications of cervical pathologies in similar patient populations (PMID: 38013507).  This
approach could provide a novel framework for understanding and discussing your findings
within the context of contemporary gynecological practice.
- Methodological Details: The methods section provides a good overview of your retrospective
analysis. However, it would benefit from more detailed descriptions of the criteria for patient
selection and the statistical methods used. Clarifying these elements would enhance the
reproducibility of your study and strengthen the validity of your results.
Title: “Diagnostic cervical excision in patients with HPV positivity, cytological abnormalities
and preoperative cervical stenosis”.
Version: 5 Date: 07 Jun 2024
Reviewer's report:
I read with great interest the manuscript, which falls within the aim of this Journal and offers
a high-quality overview of the topic.
Although the manuscript can be considered already of high quality, I would suggest taking into
account the following minor recommendations:
- The whole text should be corrected by a native English speaker in order to make the work
clearer and more readable.
- The aim section in the abstract should be completely revised to focus on the aim of the paper,
without reporting any findings.
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria should be better clarified by extending their description.
- I find it interesting to include a reference to the latest advances in HPV cervical lesions: Golia
D’Augè T, Cuccu I, Etrusco A, D’Amato A, Laganà AS, D’Oria O, Bogani G, Di Donato V,
Muzii L, Giannini A. State of the art on HPV-related cervical lesions. Ital J Gynaecol Obstet.
2024 June p.p. 135-137. doi: 10.36129/jog.2024.161.
- The authors have not adequately highlighted the strengths and limitations of their study. It
would be better to explain these points.
-What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It is
important to report the results obtained by the authors in the context of clinical practice and to
adequately highlight what contribution this study adds to the existing literature on the topic and
future study perspectives.
- Discussions can be expanded citing articles about the risk factors that influence the recurrence
of high-grade cervical lesions (see PMID: 37747763).
Title: “It’s what we perceive as different”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of
Nigerian women’s characterization of their health during COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 2 Date: 10 Jan 2024
Reviewer:  Olutoyin Opeyemi Ikuteyijo
Reviewer's report:
The study is of the essence, however, the result section needs to be strengthened by the author
to convince the readers and policymakers. All comments should be attended to adequately.
Title: “It’s what we perceive as different”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of
Nigerian women’s characterization of their health during COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 2 Date: 15 Apr 2024
Reviewer:  Vitalis Ukoji
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for the opportunity to review this manuscript on, “It’s what we perceive as different”:
An interpretative phenomenological analysis of Nigerian women’s characterization of their
health during COVID-19 pandemic. However, some minor revisions are required with respect
to the title, introduction, method, design and discussion. Following a satisfactory revision, the
manuscript should be accepted. My comments and suggestions with respect to the specific
sections of the manuscript follow below:
Title:
“the” should be added before “COVID-19 pandemic”
Introduction:
The introduction is well written. However, in the 3rd paragraph, the authors introduced the
IPA. I would suggest that in order to benefit the work more, the authors should provide a more
detailed explanation of the IPA method and what it brings to the study. I understand the authors
attempted a better explanation of the IPA in the method section. Yet, they should set the stage
for the concept in the introduction section.
Method:
The authors have provided more details of the IPA method. However, they fell short in
explaining how it was specifically applied in the study.
Study design and setting:
Nigeria has six geopolitical zones. The study was set in three states from three of the six
geopolitical zones. The authors were silent on the rationale for selecting these states, Ebonyi,
Ogun, and Sokoto, out of 36 states and the federal capital territory. There has to be some
justification for selecting them and not others.
Discussion:
The discussion section is well written. However, it could benefit more if the authors could
specifically discuss the study’s contributions to the field in the light of the findings.
Title: “It’s what we perceive as different”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of
Nigerian women’s characterization of their health during COVID-19 pandemic
Version: 3 Date: 30 Apr 2024
Reviewer:  Olutoyin Opeyemi Ikuteyijo
Reviewer's report:
1. the authors have addressed all aspects of the comments in the first review.
2. All necessary suggestions have been duly considered.
3. It is good that the authors perform the last round of grammar checks in their text before the
manuscript is published.
4. Please check the repetitions in the explanations of quotations in the results section.
Title: Resistant C. albicans implicated in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) among
women in a Tertiary Healthcare facility in Kumasi, Ghana
Version: 4 Date: 26 Jan 2024
Reviewer:  Pedro Miguel Dos Santos Abrantes
Reviewer's report:
Dear author
Thank you for the revised manuscript. Please use the line numbering consecutively throughout
the document, not in each section - it is difficult to follow in its current format. I also strongly
suggest that the whole document is scrutinized for grammatical errors once the changes are
made.
Here are my recommendations:
The fact that the study relied on patient questionnaires and that other pathogens (either by
themselves or in biofilm consortia) might be involved in vaginal infections must be added as
limitations in the Discussion section. In addition, there is no mentioning of the linkage between
patient details and the antifungal susceptibility results, which would have strengthened this
study. This must also be mentioned as a study limitation.
The text “Related reports from Africa have indicated high prevalence of Candida albicans
(71.7%) and nonalbicans (24.1%) infections resistant to antifungals such as fluconazole (Mushi,
Olum, and Bongomin 2022) whereas other candida spp. isolated in hospitals in Ghana have been
found to be resistant to antifungals such as voriconazole, fluconazole and nystatin (Waikhom
et al. 2020)” is mentioned in the Response to Reviewers but is not reflected on the updated
manuscript draft. In addition, the authors failed to add regional data (from other African
countries, not just Ghana), which is much more relevant than what is currently shown for Europe
and Asia.
The authors mention in their responses that “Even though sale of drugs in Ghana are regulated,
It is still easier for individuals to purchase prescription drugs over the counter”, “Since it is
easy to purchase drugs over the counter in Ghana, most females self medicate before visiting
the hospital especially when the situation becomes worse” and “Yes I recommend underwear is
washed immediately after use.” but these are not addressed in the Discussion, as was asked.
As mentioned, Figure 1 is redundant and can be removed. C. albicans colony morphology and
germ tube formation is already known.
Figure 3: Two pictures are shown but only the second one is mentioned in the legend. What is
the first one showing?
Line 79: Change “vagina” to “vaginal”.
Line 107: change “too frequent sex” to “frequent sexual activity”.
Line 152: “..under a Skan biosafety cabinet.”
Line 167: Change “augmented” to “supplemented”.
Line 176: Add the manufacturer and catalogue number for Sabouraud agar.
Line 188: Add the country for Inqaba Biotec.
Line 217: There are two references here that need to be changed to numbers.
Line 218: Add a space between “densitometer” and the bracket.
Line 221: Correct “cott”.
Line 225: Remove the inverted comma: “
Line 285: Add a space between “infection” and the bracket.
Line 311: Change “partner” to “partners”.
Line 316: Change “partners” to “partner”.
Title: Resistant C. albicans implicated in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) among
women in a Tertiary Healthcare facility in Kumasi, Ghana
Version: 6 Date: 16 Feb 2024
Reviewer:  Pedro Miguel Dos Santos Abrantes
Reviewer's report:
Dear author
Please address the comments below. The whole document needs to be scrutinized for
grammatical errors once all changes are made.
References in brackets need to have a space after the text, with the punctuation after the brackets.
There are many references where this isn’t the case.
My previous comment: “The fact that the study relied on patient questionnaires and that other
pathogens (either by themselves or in biofilm consortia) might be involved in vaginal infections
must be added as limitations in the Discussion section” was not adequately addressed in lines
372-375 as you mentioned. There is no mentioning of limitations in the lines 436-438 paragraph.
My previous comment “In addition, there is no mentioning of the linkage between patient details
and the antifungal susceptibility results, which would have strengthened this study. This must
also be mentioned as a study limitation” is not addressed in lines 475-476 as mentioned by the
authors.
Figure 1B: Reduce the font size of the closing bracket; italicise Candida in the figure legend.
Line 69: Change “vagina” to “vaginal”
Line 101: Join the two sentences with a comma “..voriconazole [15,16], whereas..”
Lines 119-120: Change to “For minors, consent was obtained from both the participant and the
parent or guardian before enrolment in the study”
Lines 187 and 350: Add a final mark at the end of the paragraph “.”
Line 216: The CLSI interpretative ranges (inhibition zones in mm) for S, I and R for each drug
should be given (e.g. in a table format).
Figure 4: The values on top of each bar graph should have “%” in front. Please explain in the
text what is meant by “units” for nystatin.
Line 374: Italicise “Gardnerella”
Line 436: Change “insufficient” to “sufficient”.
Line 488: “Candida” should start with a capital letter and be italicised.
References: Please check the references for author name and bibliographic information
accuracy.
Title: Resistant C. albicans implicated in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) among
women in a Tertiary Healthcare facility in Kumasi, Ghana
Version: 7 Date: 07 Mar 2024
Reviewer:  Pedro Miguel Dos Santos Abrantes
Reviewer's report:
Dear author
Thank you for the revised version of your manuscript. Please address these issues before I can
accept this paper for publication:
Once again my comment in square brackets was not addressed. You mentioned in your response
that it was addressed in 455-457 but it wasn't:
[My previous comment: “The fact that the study relied on patient questionnaires and that
other pathogens (either by themselves or in biofilm consortia) might be involved in vaginal
infections must be added as limitations in the Discussion section” was not adequately addressed
in lines 372-375 as you mentioned. There is no mentioning of
limitations in the lines 436-438 paragraph.]
Here is another previous comment that, again, wasn't addressed. I merely asked for the lack of
this information to be added as a limitation to the study, not an "independent evaluation of each
respondent characteristic vis a vis the antimicrobial resistance obtained for each respondent"
as you mentioned. I understand that you are submitting that information as a separate paper,
however it is not published yet and it is a limitation of the current study:
[“In addition, there is no mentioning of the linkage between patient details and the antifungal
susceptibility results, which would have strengthened this study. This must also be mentioned
as a study limitation” ].
Lastly, regarding your comment "CLSI breakpoint values are available at the CLSI web page
and can be readily accessed online at clsi.org", you could simply mention these values in the
text (line 198).
Title: Resistant C. albicans implicated in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) among
women in a Tertiary Healthcare facility in Kumasi, Ghana
Version: 8 Date: 22 Apr 2024
Reviewer:  Pedro Miguel Dos Santos Abrantes
Reviewer's report:
Dear author
Thank you for your updated manuscript. Kindly note that there is an overlap between the
"Intermediate" and "Resistance" values for Fluconazole and Miconazole shown in Table S1
(Supplementary Data). For example, if the measurement is 13mm for FCZ, did you consider it
to be Intermediate or Resistant? Please correct if needed or explain the breakpoint values used
in your study.
Title: Resistant C. albicans implicated in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) among
women in a Tertiary Healthcare facility in Kumasi, Ghana
Version: 8 Date: 27 Apr 2024
Reviewer:  Y Zhu
Reviewer's report:
The  manuscript is a cross-sectional study of RVVI by collecting data through structured
questionnaire, utilizing culture as well as PCR and  antifungal susceptibility test  to show us
associated risk factors of VVI and antifungal susceptibility of C. albicans.It has been revised in
response to previous reviewer's comment and the CLSI values for all the antibiotics used has
beed added as supplementary data.  The  manuscript could be accepted.And It would be more
suitable to use RVVC not rVVC in the context.