Diagnosis, clinical features, and mortality risk factors in a Chinese cohort with pulmonary mucormycosis

Junjun Wan; Teng Liu; Fang Li; Shaohua Xu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0323624

Peer Review History

Original SubmissionDecember 30, 2024
30 Dec 2024 Author Response https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r001
18 Mar 2025 Decision Letter - Felix Bongomin, Editor PONE-D-24-59709Diagnosis, Clinical Features, and Mortality Risk Factors in a Chinese Cohort with Pulmonary MucormycosisPLOS ONE Dear Dr. Xu, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by May 02 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. 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This policy applies to all data except where public deposition would breach compliance with the protocol approved by your research ethics board. If your data cannot be made publicly available for ethical or legal reasons (e.g., public availability would compromise patient privacy), please explain your reasons on resubmission and your exemption request will be escalated for approval. 4. Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. Additional Editor Comments: 1. Please write pulmonary mucormycois in full, all through the manuscript. 2. Structure your abstract ... and describe variables in both frequency and %, also include all effect sizes , 95%CI and p-value. 3. Cite major papers eg Denning et al Lancet ID for burden of IFI including mucormycosis and the systematic review that inform WHO priority fungal pathogen list [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] 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 ******** 2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? Reviewer #1: Yes ****** 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: No ****** 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 ****** 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 manuscript is well organized and contributes valuable findings on pulmonary mucormycosis. It provides valuable insights into pulmonary mucormycosis. The manuscript is is systematically presented and well-written overall. ****** 6. 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 ******** [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r002
Revision 1
26 Mar 2025 Author Response Esteemed Editors and Reviewers, We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your thorough review and invaluable feedback on our manuscript titled "Diagnosis, Clinical Features, and Mortality Risk Factors in a Chinese Cohort with Pulmonary Mucormycosis" (Manuscript Number: PONE-D-24-59709). In accordance with the suggestions provided by the reviewers and editors, we have meticulously revised our manuscript. Herein, we address each of the reviewers' comments point by point. It is our sincere hope that these revisions meet the journal's standards and contribute to the enhancement of the manuscript's overall quality. 1.Reviewer's Responses to Questions and Comments to the Author Questions 1: Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions? Reviewer #1: Yes Author's reply: Thank you to the reviewers for their positive feedback on our research. We have ensured that all experimental designs and data analyses adhere to the rigorous standards of scientific research, and all conclusions are data-driven. In the revised manuscript, we have further clarified the details of the experimental methods and data analysis to ensure the reliability of our conclusions. Questions 2: Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? Reviewer #1: Yes Author's reply: We have re-examined all statistical analysis procedures and ensured their appropriateness and rigor. All statistical methods have been described in detail. Questions 3: Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available? Reviewer #1: No Author's reply: Since the data involves patient privacy, we are unable to disclose the original data. However, we have updated the data availability statement in the revised manuscript, detailing the reasons for the data restrictions and providing avenues for data access. Specifically, the data can be made available upon reasonable request and with approval from the ethics committee. We have provided the contact information for the ethics committee as required by the journal. Questions 4: Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English? Reviewer #1: Yes Author's reply: We have conducted a comprehensive language polish on the manuscript to ensure it adheres to standard English writing conventions. All grammatical and spelling errors have been corrected, and the manuscript has been proofread by a professional English editor. Questions 5: Review Comments to the Author Reviewer #1: The manuscript is well organized and contributes valuable findings on pulmonary mucormycosis. It provides valuable insights into pulmonary mucormycosis. The manuscript is is systematically presented and well-written overall. Author's reply: We extend our gratitude to the reviewers for their overall positive assessment of our manuscript. In accordance with the reviewers' suggestions, we have further refined the manuscript, particularly in the areas of data analysis and interpretation of results. We are confident that the revised manuscript is now more lucid and rigorous. 2. Additional Editor Comments Comments 1: Please write pulmonary mucormycois in full, all through the manuscript. Author's reply: We have ensured that "pulmonary mucormycosis" is written out in full throughout the manuscript, accompanied by its abbreviation in parentheses, to maintain terminological consistency. Comments 2: Structure your abstract ... and describe variables in both frequency and %, also include all effect sizes , 95%CI and p-value. Author's reply: We have structured the abstract according to the editor's suggestions and supplemented the frequencies, percentages, effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values for all variables. The revised abstract is more comprehensive and clearer. Comments 3: Cite major papers eg Denning et al Lancet ID for burden of IFI including mucormycosis and the systematic review that inform WHO priority fungal pathogen list. Author's reply: We have supplemented our references with the work of Denning et al. on the burden of fungal infections and have cited the systematic review that informed the WHO's priority list of fungal pathogens. These citations further bolster the context and significance of our research. 3.Other revisions We have adjusted the manuscript according to the journal's formatting requirements to ensure it aligns with the PLOS ONE format template. We have updated the data availability statement, detailing the reasons for data restrictions and providing access pathways to the data. We have reviewed and updated the reference list to ensure its completeness and accuracy. All cited references are up-to-date and have not been retracted. We believe that these revisions have adequately addressed the comments from the reviewers and editors, significantly enhancing the quality of the manuscript. We look forward to your further feedback. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r003
31 Mar 2025 Decision Letter - Felix Bongomin, Editor PONE-D-24-59709R1Diagnosis, Clinical Features, and Mortality Risk Factors in a Chinese Cohort with Pulmonary MucormycosisPLOS ONE Dear Dr. Xu, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by May 15 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols. We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Felix Bongomin, MB ChB, MSc, MMed, FECMM Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal Requirements: Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. Additional Editor Comments: DEAR AUTHORS CHECK THE SPELLING OF MUCORMYCOSIS --THROUGH OUT THE MANUSCRIPT DEFINE COVID-19 IN FULL IN FIRST USE DEFINE HR AND CI IN THE ABSTRACT IN THE FIRST [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r004
Revision 2
1 Apr 2025 Author Response Esteemed Editors and Reviewers, We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your thorough review and invaluable feedback on our manuscript titled "Diagnosis, Clinical Features, and Mortality Risk Factors in a Chinese Cohort with Pulmonary Mucormycosis" (Manuscript Number: PONE-D-24-59709). In accordance with the suggestions provided by the reviewers and editors, we have meticulously revised our manuscript. Herein, we address each of the reviewers' comments point by point. It is our sincere hope that these revisions meet the journal's standards and contribute to the enhancement of the manuscript's overall quality. 1.Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. Re: We have reviewed the reference list to ensure its completeness and accuracy. All cited references are up-to-date and have not been retracted. 2.CHECK THE SPELLING OF MUCORMYCOSIS --THROUGH OUT THE MANUSCRIPT Re: We have thoroughly checked the manuscript and corrected the spelling of "mucormycosis" throughout. It is now consistent and accurate. 3.DEFINE COVID-19 IN FULL IN FIRST USE Re: We have defined "COVID-19" in full as "Coronavirus Disease 2019" at its first mention in the manuscript, as per your request. 4.DEFINE HR AND CI IN THE ABSTRACT IN THE FIRST Re: We have defined "HR" (Hazard Ratio) and "CI" (Confidence Interval) in full at their first occurrence in the abstract. We believe that these revisions have adequately addressed the comments from the reviewers and editors, significantly enhancing the quality of the manuscript. We look forward to your further feedback. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Response_to_Reviewers_auresp_2.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r005
11 Apr 2025 Decision Letter - Felix Bongomin, Editor Diagnosis, Clinical Features, and Mortality Risk Factors in a Chinese Cohort with Pulmonary Mucormycosis PONE-D-24-59709R2 Dear Dr. Xu, 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. An invoice will be generated when your article is formally accepted. Please note, if your institution has a publishing partnership with PLOS and your article meets the relevant criteria, all or part of your publication costs will be covered. Please make sure your user information is up-to-date by logging into Editorial Manager at Editorial Manager® and clicking the ‘Update My Information' link at the top of the page. If you have any questions relating to publication charges, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org. If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. Kind regards, Felix Bongomin, MB ChB, MSc, MMed, FECMM Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments (optional): Reviewers' comments: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r006
Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Felix Bongomin, Editor PONE-D-24-59709R2 PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Xu, I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now being handed over to our production team. At this stage, our production department will prepare your paper for publication. This includes ensuring the following: * All references, tables, and figures are properly cited * All relevant supporting information is included in the manuscript submission, * There are no issues that prevent the paper from being properly typeset You will receive further instructions from the production team, including instructions on how to review your proof when it is ready. Please keep in mind that we are working through a large volume of accepted articles, so please give us a few days to review your paper and let you know the next and final steps. Lastly, if your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. If we can help with anything else, please email us at customercare@plos.org. Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access. Kind regards, PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff on behalf of Dr. Felix Bongomin Academic Editor PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323624.r007

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