An Interdisciplinary Approach to Biobanking in Cardiac Surgery: Protocol of a Prospective, Single-Center Research Project Involving Longitudinal Biobanking

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The brief report by Theresa Holst et al. describes the methodology for obtaining and conserving various types of samples obtained from patients with cardiac diseases. This report is intriguing as it outlines an ambitious project to organize and identify several samples. However, there are some points that I find unclear or not adequately explained.

• The authors mention that the samples are taken from patients who have undergone cardiac interventions; however, in Table 2, there are samples listed that are difficult to understand in terms of their origin.
• It is unclear what the relationship is between the AortOmic trial and the first part of the study.
• Overall, the study is preliminary, and more evidence is needed to demonstrate that the workflow and statistical methodology described are adequate for managing a biobank. The authors should emphasize more strongly the significance of their study.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This report is interesting because it presents a protocol that may be of interest to people who want to create a protocol

1.      The title should be changed to reflect the protocol aspect. I suggest   something like  this “An interdisciplinary approach to biobanking in cardiac surgery:  protocol of a prospective, single-center research project involving longitudinal biobanking”

2.      Add the following  key words: protocol, crossectional, cohort.

3.      In the abstract is written “Cross-sectional and longitudinal profiling of full sets of nucleic acids, transcripts, peptides  or proteins and/or metabolites expressed (…) “ In the abstract rewrite “and/or” use instead “or”  . Many Style guides and books reject the joining of these two words with a slash .

4.      In table 1 and 2 , add a column with  percentages (%)

5.      Include as annex an example of the information about the biobank consent that is provided to the patients “ patients are informed about the possibility to participate in Biobanking”

6.      3.5. Formal análisis variables should be tested to know if they have a normal distribution, if the distribution is not normal, non parametric test  should be used, such as Spearman correlation. In the same way instead o ANOVA of repeated variables, the non parametric test, Friedman test should be used.

7.      Expand this text “Further statistical testing, such as association analyses of clinical data with molecular intensities, might be added.”

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Authors have attended to the suggestions