Specific nanoprobe design for MRI: Targeting laminin in the blood-brain barrier to follow alteration due to neuroinflammation.

Chronic neuroinflammation is characterized by increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, leading to molecular changes in the central nervous system that can be explored with biomarkers of active neuroinflammatory processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has contributed to detecting lesions and permeability of the BBB. Ultra-small superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO) are used as contrast agents to improve MRI observations. Therefore, we validate the interaction of peptide-88 with laminin, vectorized on USPIO, to explore BBB molecular alterations occurring during neuroinflammation as a potential tool for use in MRI. The specific labeling of NPS-P88 was verified in endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) and astrocytes (T98G) under inflammation induced by interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) for 3 and 24 hours. IL-1ß for 3 hours in hCMEC/D3 cells increased their co-localization with NPS-P88, compared with controls. At 24 hours, no significant differences were observed between groups. In T98G cells, NPS-P88 showed similar nonspecific labeling among treatments. These results indicate that NPS-P88 has a higher affinity towards brain endothelial cells than astrocytes under inflammation. This affinity decreases over time with reduced laminin expression. In vivo results suggest that following a 30-minute post-injection, there is an increased presence of NPS-P88 in the blood and brain, diminishing over time. Lastly, EAE animals displayed a significant accumulation of NPS-P88 in MRI, primarily in the cortex, attributed to inflammation and disruption of the BBB. Altogether, these results revealed NPS-P88 as a biomarker to evaluate changes in the BBB due to neuroinflammation by MRI in biological models targeting laminin.

Costilla o dedo (falange) pélvico: una serie de casos / Pelvic Rib or Pelvic Digit: A Series of Cases

El dedo (falange) pélvico es una alteración benigna resultante de una anomalía en el desarrollo óseo, donde se encuentra una estructura ósea con apariencia radiológica característica en los tejidos blandos, especialmente en relación con la articulación coxofemoral, aunque puede tener otras localizaciones. Se trata de una entidad benigna que usualmente es asintomática y se encuentra como hallazgo incidental. Conocer su origen y características imaginológicas es de gran importancia para poderla diferenciar de otras lesiones como osificaciones postraumáticas o lesiones por avulsión, que son frecuentes en esta misma localización. Se presentan seis casos con hallazgo incidental de dedo pélvico en diferentes modalidades diagnósticas

The pelvic digit is a benign entity resulting from an abnormality in bone development, where a bony structure with a characteristic radiological appearance is found in the soft tissues, especially in relation to the hip joint, although it may be found at other locations. It is usually asymptomatic and is found as an incidental finding. Knowing its origin and imaging characteristics is of great importance to differentiate it from other injuries such as post-traumatic ossification or avulsion injuries, which are frequent in this same location. Six cases, from the institution, with incidental finding of pelvic digit in different diagnostic modalities are presented.