21/03/56
Author’s perspective
memorable - miserable experience and lesson
Thiravat Hemachudha, MD, FACP
Professor of Neurology
Chulalongkorn University
WHO cc research and training on viral zoonoses
“Must not” argue against
•
•
•
•
God/Lord Buddha
Taxman
Editor
Reviewer +/-
Prof Richard T. Johnson
Johns Hopkins
1
21/03/56
Experience with Lancet
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Human rabies: neuropathogenesis, diagnosis and management.
Hemachudha T, Ugolini G, Wacharapluesadee S, Sungkarat W, Shuangshoti S, Laothamatas J.
Lancet Neurol. 2013 (in press)
Human rabies: a disease of complex neuropathogenetic mechanisms and diagnostic challenges.
Hemachudha T, Laothamatas J, Rupprecht CE.
Lancet Neurol. 2002 Jun; 1(2):101-9. Review.
Rabies re-examined.
Rupprecht CE, Hanlon CA, Hemachudha T.
Lancet Infect Dis. 2002 Jun; 2(6):327-43. Review.
Rabies and other lyssavirus diseases.
Wilde H, Hemachudha T, Tantawichien T, Khawplod P.
Lancet. 2004 Jun 5; 363(9424):1906
Nucleic-acid sequence based amplification in the rapid diagnosis of rabies.
Wacharapluesadee S, Hemachudha T.
Lancet. 2001 Sep 15; 358(9285):892-3.
Detection of rabies antigen in canine parotid glands by dot-blot technique.
Vishawapoka U, Hemachudha T, Tepsumethanon W, Polsuwan C, Tirawatnpong S, Phanuphak P.
Lancet. 1988 Apr 16; 1(8590):881.
Myoedema as a clinical sign in paralytic rabies.
Hemachudha T, Phanthumchinda K, Phanuphak P, Manutsathit S.
Lancet. 1987 May 23; 1(8543):1210.
Rejection at first/long letter to the editor
Second chance
2
21/03/56
Rejection at first from the reviewer….the authors did not have
sufficient knowledge on the subject!!!!!!
Again, long letter to the editor
3
21/03/56
Lancet Neurology
Lancet Infectious Disease
2002
4
21/03/56
Human rabies: neuropathogenesis, diagnosis and management.
Hemachudha T, Ugolini G, Wacharapluesadee S, Sungkarat W,
Shuangshoti S, Laothamatas J. Lancet Neurol. 2013 (in press)
• Communication with the editor:
Unique: unlike any other review or text chapter
• Rabies from dog and bat variants in comparison
• Dog as a model: neuroimaging/immune response in the brain
• Review immune evasive strategy/prevention of apoptosis
• Special imaging technique in dogs: diffusion tensor imaging
• Viral propagation in order to explain clinical symptoms and signs
• Antemortem diagnosis
• Why US protocol (Milwaukee – US CDC protocol) doesn’t work
and should be abandoned?
Bat and dog related cases
REVIEWER
-Where the evidence is?
-Delete the whole section?
Meanwhile, submitting
a manuscript to a journal
about clinical features
5
21/03/56
REVIEWERS !!!!!
DELETE THE WHOLE SECTION !!!
TOO COMPLICATED
NOT USEFUL
DATA FROM FIXED/STREET VIRUSES
ANIMAL MODELS
Number of references rose to 150
Adv Virus Res 2011
6
21/03/56
REVIEWER
-DELETE WHOLE SECTION
-DTI DATA PUBLISHED IN
ADV VIRUS RES 2011
-DEMAND LANCET NEUROLOGY
NOT TO ACCEPT THIS
FACTS
-REVIEWERS KNOW IN DETAIL
- EDITOR OF ADV VIRUS RES
-PRESENTED AT MANY INTERNAL
INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
REVIEWER:
DELETING SPECIAL IMAGING IN DOGS
meanwhile raised concern on:
• LACK OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE TO
SUBSTANTIATE THAT NEURAL TRACT
INTEGRITY AT BRAINSTEM IMPEDED VIRAL
PROPAGATION FROM CORD TO BRAIN
• BECAUSE DTI DATA NOT PUBLISHED IN PEER
REVIEW JOURNAL
• REVIEWER ASKS FOR PATHOLOGY EVIDENCE
7
21/03/56
Shuangshoti, S, Thepa N, Phukpattaranont P, Jittmittraphap A,
Intarut N,Tepsumethanon V, Wacharapluesadee S, Thorner PS,
Hemachudha T. Reduced viral burden in paralytic compared to
furious canine rabies is associated with prominent
inflammation at the brainstem level. BMC Vet Res 2013: 14: 31
•
•
•
•
Pathology evidence
Firstly submitted to BMC Infect Dis
Rejected: no new data
Resubmitted: rejected arguing that this is dog
experiment,……should go to BMC Vet Res
• Frozen at BMC Vet Res for > 6 months
• Meanwhile, asking for pathology evidence
THIS TYPE OF reviewer (s)
8
21/03/56
BE CAREFUL
• WHEN SAYING/DEMONSTRATING ANYTHING,
MUST BE
-SUPPORTED BY ORIGNAL REFERENCES
-PEERED REVIEW JOURNAL
-AVOIDING CITING REVIEW ARTICLE AS
REFERENCE
MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RABIES
• Battle against authors who published new Rx
protocol in New England Journal of Medicine
2004/recognized as one of 200th anniversary
articles in NEJM
9
21/03/56
WHY LANCET EDITOR SHOULD BE
ADMIRED?
• LANCET: FAIR IN CHOOSING REVIEWERS
• OBSERVE (THE BATTLE) AND WEIGHT THE
EVIDENCE
• Destructive or constructive comments?
• Based on scientific evidence or having conflict of
interest
• FINALLY, WE SURVIVE
It’s not OVER yet !!!!
• Editing / Proofing
• Journal style
• Cut short
• Figures – modification
10
21/03/56
LESSON LEARNT
• MISERABLE BUT SWEET AND MEMORABLE
EXPERIENCE IF………..
• NEVER CAN AVOID
• DECENT AND FAIR
PEOPLE EXIST
11