Submited on: 04 Apr 2012 01:07:23 PM GMT
Published on: 05 Apr 2012 03:00:11 PM GMT
 
An Honest First Effort
Posted by Dr. Pedro Xavier-Elsas on 25 Jul 2012 12:55:18 PM GMT

  • What are the main claims of the paper and how important are they?

    It makes a first effort to determine the frequency of chemokine gene polymorphisms associated with resistance to HIV infection in the Kenian population.


  • Are these claims novel? If not, please specify papers that weaken the claims to the originality of this one.

    The study is novel insofar as it addresses the Kenian population.


  • Are the claims properly placed in the context of the previous literature?

    The claims are compatible with the preexisting literature.


  • Do the results support the claims? If not, what other evidence is required?

    The results are compatible with the conclusions. Data on HIV infection rates, which are discussed, were not presented, but are required to allow the reader to properly interpret the molecular data.


  • If a protocol is provided, for example for a randomized controlled trial, are there any important deviations from it? If so, have the authors explained adequately why the deviations occurred?

    Not applicable


  • Is the methodology valid? Does the paper offer enough details of its methodology that its experiments or its analyses could be reproduced?

    The methodology is valid for the molecular studies, but incomplete as to the epidemiology of HIV infection. Some of the P values reported approach the significance limit, and it would be advisable to enlarge the sample, because significant differences are likely to appear.


  • Would any other experiments or additional information improve the paper? How much better would the paper be if this extra work was done, and how difficult would such work be to do, or to provide?

    The paper is confusely written, with extensive reiteration of results in discussion.

    Nomenclature must be correct, such as the misuse of mutagen (for mutation) and gene (for genotype). Results must be presented in Table form, and organized, with support of a concise text. The author must focus the actual data, rather than the theoretical background.


  • Is this paper outstanding in its discipline? (For example, would you like to see this work presented in a seminar at your hospital or university? Do you feel these results need to be incorporated in your next general lecture on the subject?) If yes, what makes it outstanding? If not, why not?

    It is not an outstanding paper.


  • Other Comments:

    Discussions that go against current accepted standards of dealing with human populations should be eliminated, or at least made clear to why they are being raised. I refer to the suggestion that generation of a human population resistant to HIV should be achieved by planned interbreeding of polymorphism carriers. This is nonscientific, unethical and impractical, in my point of view, but I am open to reading arguments that defend inclusion of this proposal in a molecular biology report.

  • Competing interests:
    None
  • Invited by the author to review this article? :
    No
  • Have you previously published on this or a similar topic?:
    Yes
  • References:

    1. Azevedo ZM, Moore DB, Lima FC, Cardoso CC, Bougleux R, Matos GI, Luz, RA, Xavier-Elsas P, Sampaio EP, Gaspar-Elsas MI, Moraes MO. 2012. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) single nucleotide polymorphisms: importance in ARDS in septic pediatric critically ill patients. Human Immunol. (in press).

  • Experience and credentials in the specific area of science:
    None
  • How to cite:  Xavier-Elsas P .An Honest First Effort[Review of the article 'Occurrence of Stromal Derived Factor-1 Polymorphism In Kenyan Population ' by Khamadi S].WebmedCentral 2012;3(7):WMCRW002132
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1 Is the subject of the article within the scope of the subject category? Yes
2 Are the interpretations / conclusions sound and justified by the data? No
3 Is this a new and original contribution? Yes
4 Does this paper exemplify an awareness of other research on the topic? Yes
5 Are structure and length satisfactory? Yes
6 Can you suggest brief additions or amendments or an introductory statement that will increase the value of this paper for an international audience? No
7 Can you suggest any reductions in the paper, or deletions of parts? No
8 Is the quality of the diction satisfactory? Yes
9 Are the illustrations and tables necessary and acceptable? No
10 Are the references adequate and are they all necessary? Yes
11 Are the keywords and abstract or summary informative? Yes
  • Other Comments:

    This is an interesting article decribing to investigate the genetic polymorphism in SDF-1 in kenya population. The authors need to provide the datas  as figures / as a table. Please also include the methodology used to  calculate the frequency of polymorphism in different population of kenya. You need to change ml to microliter for Polymerase chain recation description. Can the author provide a graphical abstract showing the frequency of polymorphism of SDF-1 in different parts of Kenya. It will also support the data better if the author do sequencing of SDF-1 in different population to further validate the datas.

  • Invited by the author to review this article? :
    No
  • Have you previously published on this or a similar topic?:
    No
  • References:
    None
  • Experience and credentials in the specific area of science:

    I was working on polymorphism of a Abumndant larval transcript genes in parasite. But we performed sequencing of this genes in parasite derived from different geographical area. 

  • How to cite:  Mishra P K.Occurrence of Stromal Derived Factor-1 Polymorphism In Kenyan Population- please provide the figures and tables for the result section[Review of the article 'Occurrence of Stromal Derived Factor-1 Polymorphism In Kenyan Population ' by Khamadi S].WebmedCentral 2012;3(4):WMCRW001750
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