Butyrate Properties in Immune-Related Diseases: Friend or Foe?
, Raden Mohamad Rendy Ariezal Effendi 1,3, Handono Kalim 2, Reiva Farah Dwiyana 3, Oki Suwarsa 3, Tamar E. C. Nijsten 1, Jan L. Nouwen 4 and Hok Bing Thio 1,*
Fátima De Cássia Oliveira Gomes
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The review article "Properties of Butyrate in Diseases Related to the Immune System: Friend or Foe?" presents an interesting review of important works in the literature on the applications of butyrate. - I suggest reducing the number of keywords. - In table 1, information about abbreviations at the end of the table must be numbered with the respective information contained in the table. - Lines 182 and 183: “Consuming probiotics and prebiotics is the most popular method for encouraging butyrate-producing bacteria colonization in humans [46, 47]”. Discuss this statement according to the cited references. - Discuss in item 2.5 the negative effects mentioned in figure 2. - Lines 516 and 517: Discuss how administration of vaccines at specific times of the day can influence increasing the host's defense against infection and inflammation. - Lines 613 and 614: “Unfortunately, butyrate's undesirable sensorial and physicochemical qualities may be the main cause limiting its application.” Cite the references that corroborate this statement and clarify in the text. .- I suggest mentioning in each of the tests carried out throughout the text in the different articles cited, which were the experimental models used. - A closing paragraph was missing from the conclusion discussing the initial question of the title: Butyrate Properties in Immune-Related Diseases: Friend or Foe?"Reviewer 2 Report
First: The subject of this review is new and significant. The content is rich can be easily used by the topic-interested researchers. The objective of the review article is not presented at the end of the introduction section. Readers need to know what this review will add to their knowledge to continue to read with interest. At the end of the introduction an introductory explanation on the article objective and potential additions, should be added. The objective included at the end of the abstract can be further explained and related to the previous studies in the introduction section.
Second: This review article is divided into the following 5 sections
1. Introduction
2. Butyrate Properties
2.1 What is Butyrate?
2.2 External Sources of Butyrate
2.3 Internal Butyrate Biosynthesis
2.4 Butyrate-Producing Bacteria
2.5 Butyrate Effect on Immune System
3. Butyrate as Prevention and Treatment
3.1 Butyrate Properties in Immune Related Disease
3.1.1 Overactive Immune Disease
1) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
2) Chronic inflammatory skin diseases
a. Atopic Dermatitis
b. Psoriasis
3.1.2 Immunodeficiency
1) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients
2) Cancer
4. Butyrate in Special Condition
4.1 The relation of butyrate production and oxygen condition
4.2 The relation of butyrate to the sleep cycle, day and night rhythms, and sleep hormones
4.3 Butyrate in Infection
5. The Downside of Butyrate
v The second section appropriately introduces define and describe butyrate to explain finally its effect on immune system, however, a slight change is required to be more in order. The point 2.3 Internal Butyrate Biosynthesis should precede the point (2.2 External Sources of Butyrate).
v The third section is divided into the second level, under which there is only one division (3.1, there is no 3.2 for example) and this making the division misleading. So, the second level of division must be eliminated. The skeleton should be as follows:
3. Butyrate as Prevention and Treatment
3.1. Overactive Immune Disease
3.1.1. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
3.1.2. Chronic inflammatory skin diseases
a. Atopic Dermatitis
b. Psoriasis
3.2 Immunodeficiency
3.2.1. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients
3.2.2. Cancer
v Section 4 seems not very relevant to the objective and title of the review article ( Butyrate Properties in Immune-Related Diseases: Friend or 2 Foe?). If the authors would like to keep this section, they should categorically indicate the relevance and connection of the presented information (oxygen condition, the sleep cycle, day and night rhythms, and sleep hormones) to the Immune-Related Diseases. If so the title of Section 4 should be changed accordingly, for example (Butyrate in immune-related Special Conditions) .
Third: The final section (conclusions) should be reformulated to reflect that the information provided has sufficiently answered the question of the article (Is Butyrate Friend or Foe in Properties in Immune-Related Diseases) and how it does its action?
Fourth: Linguistic: the article needs careful linguistic revision for improving the presentation and clarity.
Here are few examples of possible improvement.
L18. Change (Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that is created within the…) into (
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), created within the…)
L23-26. Very long and hard to understand sentence and need to be reformulated (Due to the important function …. butyrate concentrations.)
L-26.27. Change (with 26 a range of properties connected to the immune system) into (with different immune system-connected properties)
L31. Change (In this review, we discuss butyrate's….) into (This review, discusses butyrate's…)
L35.Change ( immune related diseases) into ( immune-related diseases)
L604. Change (as well as organic acid and amino acid conversions) into (as well as organic acids and amino acids conversions)
L605. Change (bacteria which include) into (bacteria, which include)
L607. Change (Lower levels of butyrate and/or the bacteria that produce this metabolite…..) into (Lower levels of butyrate and/or the bacteria producing it….)
L610. Change (immune related) into (immune-related)
L611. Change (in the future coming research) into (in future coming research)
L618. Change (for future prospective) into (for future prospects)
