PONE-D-21-13608

The Prevalence of Thrombocytopenia and Leucopenia among People living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Bisetegn,

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Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: I Don't Know

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The authors have prepared a well written manuscript conducting a rigorous meta analysis of leucopenia and thrombocytopenia in Ethiopia among PLWH

Major comments

1) widen the axis of the forest plots so the figures can better how differences between the studies

2) Individuals of African descent have lower normal levels of white blood cells. IT would be important to note how many studies used locally determined norms in determining rates of leucopenia.

3) A discussion of reports of leucopenia/thrombocytopenia prevalence in healthy people living without HIV in Ethiopia and/or Africa would improve the quality of the manuscript.

4) The findings of lower prevalence rates of hematological abnormalities associated with ART are important and are supportive of early diagnosis and ART but it is probably inappropriate to state that your findings "prove" that ART causes fewer hematological abnormalities or that ART is important

Minor comments

1) Under Identified studies: can delete "were" from "were remained" in the first two sentences of that section

2) Should Be "description of included studies" instead of Discerption.

3) In that section, the sentence "Threaten studies..." is confusing and should be reworded

4) Figure 1. 76 Articles excluded, not 76 Article excluded

5) Capitalize China throughout

Reviewer #2: 1. Introduction: Write the information about case and effect of Leucopenia disorder, as written for Thrombocytopenia ( is a common hematologic disorder in people living with HIV, the mechanism is estimated to be associated with accelerated peripheral platelet destruction and decreased platelet production from impaired megakaryocytes and it can

lead to cardiac dysfunction)

2. Result: Articles excluded were mentioned 77 in result where as in Figure-1 it is 76, also the break up are not matching.

3. Discerption of included studies: The highest prevalence of leukopenia reported was 26.2% not 24.4%, also change the reference citation.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Julie A. Ake

Reviewer #2: No

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The Prevalence of Thrombocytopenia and Leucopenia among People living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PONE-D-21-13608R1

Dear Dr. Bisetegn,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Ahmet Emre Eşkazan, M.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: All comments are addressed I am fully satisfied with authors reply. It may accepted for publication.

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No