Title: Risk of uterine leiomyoma based on BET1L rs2280543 single nucleotide polymorphism
and vegetarian diet
Version: 1 Date: 04 Jan 2022
Reviewer:  Jan Bie#kiewicz
Reviewer's report:
The Authors have submitted a research paper entitled:
'BET1L rs2280543 single nucleotide polymorphism and uterine leiomyoma risk based on
vegetarian diet'.
The manuscript with all appendices is 27 pages long and is divided into a standard typical layout:
Abstract, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and additional declarations. A list of 53
references is provides and covers the up-to-date literature on the research matter. 4 tables are
attached to the manuscript.
Before publication I do recommend a substantial augmentation to the paper. I do not encourage
to publish in current form.
Please see the list below:
1. The aim of the study has not been clearly indicated. The title suggests that three variables
are analysed:
- BET1L rs2280543
- uterine fibroids
- vegetarian diet
Yet, the reader may find it difficult to comprehend what exactly is analysed. The influence of
SNP on uterine fibroids? The correlation of uterine fibroids with vegetarian diet? The interaction
between the diet and the SNP? The aim of the study needs to be indicated clearly in the title
and  abstract.
Only later in the main body of the text the Authors stated clearly what was te exact aim of the
study:
'we conducted this study to assess the association between BET1L rs2280543 and UL among
Taiwanese premenopausal women. Because UL has a multifactorial etiology, we further
evaluated the interaction between BET1L rs2280543 and vegetarian diet on UL risk.'
2. Abstract and introduction need to be rewritten. They lack proper flow and are difficult to
understand. See the following sections as examples :
- 'Both bet1 Golgi vesicular membrane trafficking protein-like (BET1L) rs2280543 and diet are
associated with uterine leiomyomas (ULs). But their interaction on UL is yet to be assessed' .
What do Authors mean by 'interaction'?
- 'Genetic factors play symbolic roles in UL etiology'
- 'However, the replication among Saudi 20 and black American women 21 was not significant.'
- what do Authors mean by replication? To me, the term 'replication' is misused frequently.
Although language should not be the main issue when revising a manuscript, I strongly
recommend a thorough language correction and a proper edition before resubmitting the paper.
I am not a native speaker myself, but to me numerous sections are simply hard to understand.
An extensive language upgrade would hugely improve the overall quality of the manuscript.
3. Who exactly was treated as Test Group and who was used as Controls? Who was a control
against whom (having in mind that 3 variables are generally analysed).  It has to be marked
clearly in section: Materials and Methods.
4. The questionnaire described in lines: 92-100 could be presented in a table. This would make
it much easier to read.
5. In section: Results Authors present the genotypes and alleles of the studied SNP. The wild
type and MAF (Minor Allele Frequency) should be presented in section: Introduction.
6. 'An in-depth understanding of the genetics of UL could help in the identification of susceptible
individuals, paving a way for developing early and better preventive schemes, in addition to
developing specific clinical interventions'. Although this statement is supported by a listed
reference, clinical approach is totally different. Uterine fibroids, according to the literature date,
are the most common tumours in female body (30-60% of women will - to some extent - develop
this disease). These benign lesions are generally quite easy to diagnose, treat, and generally do
not pose a serious threat to public health. There is no urgent need for ' developing early and
better preventive schemes, in addition to developing specific clinical interventions'.