Dental health indicators of the Chernyakhov population from Shyshaki (Ukraine)

Odontological studies of ancient populations represent different indicators related to health state, lifestyle and human diet. The aim of this paper is to determine the dental health indicators in the Chernyakhov population (the end of the IVth c. AD) from Ukraine. The paper also attempts to identify the relationship between sex and these indicators in the studied population. The sample analysed consisted of the dental remains of 25 adult individuals (11 males and 14 females) and 8 children individuals excavated from the cemetery at the archaeological site of Shyshaki (Poltava region of Ukraine). A total of 760 teeth were examined for caries, tooth wear and calculus clinically, and 647 teeth of adults were observed radio-graphically. The studied population presents frequency of caries in individuals of 12.5%. This indicator in adult male and female dentition is 42.86% and 14.0% respectively, and 25% in children. The presented population frequency of caries teeth was 0.88%. Females presented higher caries rate than males (2.72 % females vs. 0.36 % males) (p0.5). These findings confirm a very low rate of caries teeth in the territory of Shyshaki during the Late Roman period, which could be related to regional diet and concentration of fluorine in drinking water. The Chernyakhov population presents high dental wear and similar frequency of dental calculus when compared to the population from Roman Britain. Females presented significantly higher frequency of caries than males, whereas no significant sex differences were found regarding dental wear, calculus, and localisation of caries lesions. The authors presume that dental health indicators in the Chernyakhov culture need to be studied more with bigger sample size and data of the populations from other regions of Ukraine

Frequency of dental caries in children in the Early Iron Age and the Medieval populations from Ukraine

In this paper we determine the caries frequency in children of the Early Iron Age (EIA) (the 9th - the 3d centuries BC) and the Medieval populations (the 8th - the beginning of the 15th century AD) from the Ukraine area, and compare the results with the data from several European populations who lived at the same time. The EIA is presented by 41 children skeletons, three of which were Cimmerian (the 9th - the 7th centuries BC) from the territory of contemporary Poltava region; 38 skulls from the territory of contemporary Poltava region and Crimea represented Scythian period (the 7th - the 3d centuries BC). Remains of 24 children from the Medieval populations were also examined, three of which were the ancient Hungarians from the Poltava region (the 8th - the 9th centuries AD), 6 Khazars from the Kharkiv region (the 8th - the 9th centuries), 1 child related the Old Rus culture from the Kyiv region (the 9th century), and 14 representatives of the nomadic populations in the Golden Horde period (the 13th - the beginning of the 15th century) from the Poltava and Zaporizhzhya regions. Taking in consideration the letter archaeobotanical studies we suggest that there were no major changes in the plants exploited during all the studied periods. The frequency of carious lesions in children from the Medieval populations (8.3% in individuals, 0.5% in deciduous teeth, and 0.4% in permanent teeth) is only slightly higher than those from the EIA period (2.4% in individuals and 0.2% in deciduous teeth). These indexes were not larger those of majority of European populations dated to the same historic period. Further isotopic, chemical and palaeobotanical studies of the additional sites, with sufficient sample sizes, allow us to learn so much more of the cariogenic factors in children of the past populations from the Ukraine area

Prevalence of Hantaviruses Harbored by Murid Rodents in Northwestern Ukraine and Discovery of a Novel Puumala Virus Strain

In Europe, two species of hantaviruses, Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) and Dobrava orthohantavirus (DOBV), cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. The rodent reservoirs for these viruses are common throughout Ukraine, and hence, the goal of this study was to identify the species and strains of hantaviruses circulating in this region. We conducted surveillance of small rodent populations in a rural region in northwestern Ukraine approximately 30 km from Poland. From the 424 small mammals captured, we identified nine species, of which the most abundant were Myodes glareolus, the bank vole (45%); Apodemus flavicollis, the yellow-necked mouse (29%); and Apodemus agrarius, the striped field mouse (14.6%) Using an indirect immunofluorescence assay, 15.7%, 20.5%, and 33.9% of the sera from M. glareolus, A. glareolus, and A. flavicollis were positive for hantaviral antibodies, respectively. Additionally, we detected antibodies to the hantaviral antigen in one Microtus arvalis, one Mus musculus, and one Sorex minutus. We screened the lung tissue for hantaviral RNA using next-generation sequencing and identified PUUV sequences in 25 small mammals, including 23 M. glareolus, 1 M. musculus, and 1 A. flavicollis, but we were unable to detect DOBV sequences in any of our A. agrarius specimens. The percent identity matrix and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of the S-segment of PUUV from 14 M. glareolus lungs suggest the highest similarity (92–95% nucleotide or 99–100% amino acid) with the Latvian lineage. This new genetic information will contribute to future molecular surveillance of human cases in Ukraine

Розробка методу діагностики та прогнозування перебігу пухлин з використанням молекул клітинної адгезії раково-ембріонального антигену та циклооксигеназ

Результати, отримані при виконанні першого етапу проєкту, демонструють особливості варіабельності МКА-РЕА-1,-5,-6,-7,-20 та ЦОГ-1,-2 при неопластичній трансформації та їх вплив на фенотипічні та прогностичні особливості карцином. Доведено, що зростання експресії ЦОГ-2 призводить до прогресування карцином, індукуючи проліферацію пухлинних клітин, інгібування апоптозу, посиленню VEGF-залежного ангіогенезу та прогностично-несприятливого зростання інфільтрації пухлинного мікрооточення М2-макрофагами. Встановлено прямий кореляційний зв’язок між ER та СОХ2 у гіперплазованому ендометрії, що може вказувати на їх синергічну участь у ініціюванні та прогресування гіперпластичних процесів. У кооперації з провідними вченими Німеччини нами вперше визначено проонкогенний вплив запалення на клітини передміхурової залози. Показано, що такі цитокіни, як фактор некрозу пухлин та інтерферон-гамма стимулюють епітеліально-мезенхімальну трансформацію, міграційний потенціал клітин та синтез ними проонкогенних РНК та білків. При цьому не спостерігалося підвищення МКА-РЕА після інкубації клітин з LPS, IL-6, IL-8 та IL-17. У рамках цього проєкту було проаналізовано генну експресію JAK/STAT, генів шляху NFκB, а також генів, залучених до епітеліально-мезенхімальної трансформації. З одного боку, обробка клітин RWPE-1 TNFα та IFNγ призводить до збільшення експресії не лише МКА-РЕА1, але й JAK2, STAT1, STAT2, REL A, REL B, NFκB1, NFκB2 та віментину. Крім того, спостерігається зниження експресії E-кадгерину. З іншого боку, клітини RWPE-1, трансфіковані людським МКА-РЕА1-4L, виявляють підвищену експресію STAT1, STAT2, REL B і знижену експресію E-кадгерину і віментину, що вказує на те, що дерегуляція генів, пов’язаних із злоякісністю, може бути пов’язана з надмірною експресією МКА-РЕА1-4L.The results obtained during the execution of the first stage of the project demonstrate the peculiarities of variability in CEACAM-1, -5, -6, -7, -20, and COX-1, -2 under non-neoplastic transformation conditions, as well as their impact on the phenotypic and prognostic characteristics of carcinomas. It has been established that an increase in the expression of COX-2 leads to carcinoma progression by inducing tumor cell proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, enhancing VEGF-dependent angiogenesis, and promoting prognostically unfavorable growth of tumor microenvironment infiltration by M2 macrophages. A direct correlation between ER and COX2 in hyperplastic endometrium has been identified, suggesting their synergistic involvement in the initiation and progression of hyperplastic processes. In collaboration with leading German scientists, we have, for the first time, identified the oncogenic influence of inflammation on prostate gland cells. It has been demonstrated that cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor and interferon-gamma stimulate epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, cell migration potential, and the synthesis of pro-oncogenic RNA and proteins. Interestingly, no increase in CEACAMs was observed after cell incubation with LPS, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-17. Within the framework of this project, the gene expression of JAK/STAT pathway, NFκB pathway genes, and genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transformation were analyzed. On one hand, treatment of RWPE-1 cells with TNFα and IFNγ led to increased expression not only of CEACAM1 but also of JAK2, STAT1, STAT2, REL A, REL B, NFκB1, NFκB2, and Vimentin. Additionally, a decrease in E-cadherin expression was observed. On the other hand, RWPE-1 cells transfected with human CEACAM1-4L showed enhanced expression of STAT1, STAT2, REL B, and reduced expression of E-cadherin and vimentin. This suggests that the dysregulation of genes associated with malignancy may be linked to the overexpression of CEACAM1-4L