Exploring radiographic patterns of the cervical spine, including zygapophyseal joints, in axial spondyloarthritis.

Introduction: The assessment of the cervical spine (CS) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and its radiographic characteristics, including the zygapophyseal joints (ZJ), may be helpful for an accurate diagnosis, establishing a prognosis and enhancing treatment decisions.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence and characteristics of CS involvement in patients with axSpA and perform a comparison between groups according to cervical radiographic damage.

Methods: Patients who fulfilled the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria were included from January 2011 to January 2021.

Economic evaluation of percutaneous cryoablation vs conventional surgery in extra-abdominal desmoid tumours in the Spanish healthcare system.

Background: Desmoid tumours (DTs) or deep fibromatosis are benign soft-tissue tumours, sometimes locally aggressive, requiring intervention on some cases. Surgery has been the gold standard, but new less invasive techniques such as percutaneous cryoablation have proved their effectiveness, reducing health resources and complications. The study aimed to compare the total cost of percutaneous cryoablation and conventional surgery for patients with extra-abdominal and/or abdominal wall DTs, candidates for local ablative treatment in Spain.

A Thermographic Disease Activity Index for remote assessment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Remote assessment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has increased during recent years. However, telematic consultations preclude the possibility of carrying out a physical examination and obtaining objective inflammation. In this study, we developed and validated two novel composite disease activity indexes (Thermographic Disease Activity Index (ThermoDAI) and ThermoDAI-CRP) based on thermography of hands and machine learning, in order to assess disease activity easily, rapidly and without formal joint counts.

Assessment of inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using thermography and machine learning: a fast and automated technique.

Objectives: Sensitive detection of joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is crucial to the success of the treat-to-target strategy. In this study, we characterise a novel machine learning-based computational method to automatically assess joint inflammation in RA using thermography of the hands, a fast and non-invasive imaging technique.

Methods: We recruited 595 patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis, as well as healthy subjects at two hospitals over 4 years.

The Combination of Galanin (1-15) and Escitalopram in Rats Suggests a New Strategy for Alcohol Use Disorder Comorbidity with Depression.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent, and over 50% of AUD patients also suffer major depressive disorders. Selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can reduce rodent ethanol drinking but exert modest clinical efficacy in alcoholic individuals. Finding new pharmacological strategies that could modulate alcohol consumption and depression is necessary.

Galanin (1-15) Enhances the Behavioral Effects of Fluoxetine in the Olfactory Bulbectomy Rat, Suggesting a New Augmentation Strategy in Depression.

Background: Selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors, including fluoxetine (FLX), are the most commonly used for the treatment of major depression. However, they are effective for remission in only 30% of patients. Recently, we observed that Galanin (1-15) [GAL(1-15)] enhanced the antidepressant effects of FLX in naïve animals, suggesting a new augmentation strategy in depression.

Galanin(1-15) Potentiates the Antidepressant-like Effects Induced by Escitalopram in a Rat Model of Depression.

Selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) are the first choice in major depressive disorder (MDD), but 50% of affected patients do not show improvement. Galanin(1-15) [GAL(1-15)] enhanced Fluoxetine antidepressant-like effects in an animal model of depression, the olfactory bulbectomy (OBX); however, further detailed analysis of GAL(1-15) effects as augmentation treatment in OBX rats are needed. In OBX rats, we analysed the effect of GAL(1-15) on Escitalopram (ESC)-mediated responses in behavioural tests related to despair.

Proliferative synovitis, an ultrasound pattern associated with ACPA-positive patients and erosive disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To analyse ultrasound (US) differences between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients according to autoantibody status and characterise the clinical and radiological features associated with the US pattern of seropositive patients.

Methods: We collected demographic and clinical data and bilateral hand US images of RA patients. We defined an extreme proliferative US pattern, encompassing synovial hypertrophy grade II-III with Power Doppler signal, which we called US proliferative synovitis (US PS).

Graphene Oxide and Reduced Derivatives, as Powder or Film Scaffolds, Differentially Promote Dopaminergic Neuron Differentiation and Survival.

Emerging scaffold structures made of carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide (GO) have shown efficient bioconjugation with common biomolecules. Previous studies described that GO promotes the differentiation of neural stem cells and may be useful for neural regeneration. In this study, we examined the capacity of GO, full reduced (FRGO), and partially reduced (PRGO) powder and film to support survival, proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and bioenergetic function of a dopaminergic (DA) cell line derived from the mouse substantia nigra (SN4741).

Biomarkers for treatment change and radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in remission: a 5 year follow-up study.

Objective: To identify biomarkers of treatment change and radiographic progression in patients with RA under remission.

Patients And Methods: RA patients in remission (DAS28-ESR <2.6) were selected and followed up for 5 years.

Imaging of skull vault tumors in adults.

The skull vault, formed by the flat bones of the skull, has a limited spectrum of disease that lies between the fields of neuro- and musculoskeletal radiology. Its unique abnormalities, as well as other ubiquitous ones, present particular features in this location. Moreover, some benign entities in this region may mimic malignancy if analyzed using classical bone-tumor criteria, and proper patient management requires being familiar with these presentations.

Influence of Preoperative Muscle Mass Assessed by Computed Tomography on Prognosis After Liver Transplantation.

Background: Sarcopenia (SP) and preoperative muscle mass are independent predictive factors for short- and long-term outcome of liver transplantation.

Objective: To assess the influence of muscle mass index (MMI) and preoperative SP on the prognosis of patients who underwent liver transplantation in our hospital.

Methods: Ninety-seven patients who underwent liver transplantation in the Regional University Hospital of Málaga from September 2013 to March 2016 were analyzed.

Update on Whole-body MRI in Musculoskeletal Applications.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) is a powerful tool increasingly used to assess oncologic and nononcologic diseases. WB-MRI provides information about diffuse multifocal pathologies with excellent anatomical definition through high soft tissue contrast and spatial resolution as well as valuable functional information from diffusion-weighted images. In addition to its roles in establishing the diagnosis and assessing the extent and severity of disease, WB-MRI is also useful for monitoring the response to treatment for malignant and benign systemic diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system.

Galanin (1-15)-fluoxetine interaction in the novel object recognition test. Involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in the prefrontal cortex of the rats.

Galanin (1-15) [GAL(1-15)] participates in mood regulation and depression. GAL(1-15) is also able to enhance the antidepressant effects induced by Fluoxetine (FLX) in the forced swimming test through interaction between GALR1-GALR2 and 5-HT1A receptors that induced changes in the binding characteristics and mRNA of the 5-HT1AR in the hippocampus. Since the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a core region for the interaction between emotional processing and cognition with a high density of 5-HT1AR and GALR1 and GALR2, we have analyzed the binding characteristics and mRNA levels of 5-HT1AR in the mPFC after GAL(1-15)-FLX administration in the rats.

Role of the galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) in anhedonia: Involvement of the dopaminergic mesolimbic system.

Background: Anhedonia is a core feature of depressive disorders. The galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) plays a role in mood regulation since it induces depression and anxiogenic-like effects in rats. In this study, we analysed galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) actions in anhedonic-like behaviours in rats using operant and non-operant tests and the areas involved with these effects.

Receptor⁻Receptor Interactions in Multiple 5-HT1A Heteroreceptor Complexes in Raphe-Hippocampal 5-HT Transmission and Their Relevance for Depression and Its Treatment.

Due to the binding to a number of proteins to the receptor protomers in receptor heteromers in the brain, the term "heteroreceptor complexes" was introduced. A number of serotonin 5-HT1A heteroreceptor complexes were recently found to be linked to the ascending 5-HT pathways known to have a significant role in depression. The 5-HT1A⁻FGFR1 heteroreceptor complexes were involved in synergistically enhancing neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and in the dorsal raphe 5-HT nerve cells.

Immunohistochemical mapping of neurotensin in the alpaca diencephalon.

Introduction: The distribution of the immunoreactive cell bodies and fibers containing neurotensin in the alpaca diencephalon was determined by an immunohistochemical technique.

Material And Methods: The study was carried out in four male alpacas that lived at sea level. Brains of deeply anesthetized animals were fixed by perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde.

Central administration of galanin N-terminal fragment 1-15 decreases the voluntary alcohol intake in rats.

Alcohol consumption is considered a major risk factor for disease and mortality worldwide. In the absence of effective treatments in alcohol use disorders, it is important to find new biological targets that could modulate alcohol consumption. We tested the role of the N-terminal galanin fragment (1-15) [GAL(1-15)] in voluntary ethanol consumption in rats using the two-bottle choice paradigm as well as compare the effects of GAL(1-15) with the whole molecule of GAL.

Clinical and sonographic biomarkers of structural damage progression in RA patients in clinical remission: A prospective study with 12 months follow-up.

Objective: To determine clinical and sonographic biomarkers predicting structural damage progression at 12 months of follow-up as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in clinical remission.

Patients And Methods: We included patients with RA in clinical remission, defined as 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) <2.6 for >6 months.

Galanin (1-15) enhancement of the behavioral effects of Fluoxetine in the forced swimming test gives a new therapeutic strategy against depression.

The pharmacological treatment of major depression is mainly based on drugs elevating serotonergic (5-HT) activity. Specifically, selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors, including Fluoxetine (FLX), are the most commonly used for treatment of major depression. However, the understanding of the mechanism of action of FLX beyond its effect of elevating 5-HT is limited.

Recommendations for the Use of Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance in Patients With Spondyloarthritis, Including Psoriatic Arthritis, and Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations on the use of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with spondyloarthritis, including psoriatic arthritis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Methods: Recommendations were generated following a nominal group technique. A panel of experts (15 rheumatologists and 3 radiologists) was established in the first panel meeting to define the scope and purpose of the consensus document, as well as chapters, potential recommendations and systematic literature reviews (we used and updated those from previous EULAR documents).

The neuropeptides Galanin and Galanin(1-15) in depression-like behaviours.

Galanin is a 29 amino acid neuropeptide widely distributed in neurons within the central nervous system. Galanin exerts its biological activities through three different G protein-receptors and participates in a number of functions, including mood regulation. Not only Galanin but also Galanin N-terminal fragments like Galanin(1-15) are active at the central level.

Recommendations for the use of ultrasound and magnetic resonance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations on the use of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Recommendations were generated following a nominal group technique. A panel of experts, consisting of 15 rheumatologists and 3 radiologists, was established in the first panel meeting to define the scope and purpose of the consensus document, as well as chapters, potential recommendations and systematic literature reviews (we used and updated those from previous EULAR documents).