Erasmus+ Project «Integrated Doctoral Program For Environmental Policy, Management And Technology – Intense»: Progress Information And Planned Activity

Erasmus+ project “Integrated Doctoral Program for Environmental Policy, Management and Technology – INTENSE” (586471-EPP-1-2017-1-EE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP) stated in 2017. The project addresses such root causes of environmental problems in Mongolia, Ukraine and Vietnam, as poorly formulated policies, inadequate selection of management actions and the lack of suitable technology, by building capacity for academic excellence in doctoral training in environmental studies in partner countries (PCs) and beyond. Consortium consists of universities and research institutions from Ukraine, Estonia, Austria, Latvia, Mongolia and Vietnam

TNF, SOLUBLE RECEPTORS AND AUTOANTIBODIES TO TNF OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND HEALTHY DONORS

The content of autoantibodies to TNF in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in conjunction with the definition of soluble receptors and TNF was investigated. A significant increase in the content of TNF and I and II types soluble receptors to TNF in sera of RA patients in the acute stage and of responding to therapy RA patients compared with relatively healthy donors was demonstrated. In determining autoantibodies subclasses a significant increase in the relative content of subclasses IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 autoantibodies in sera of RA patients in the acute stage compared with relatively healthy donors, as well as a significant increase in the relative content of subclasses IgG2 and IgG4 autoantibodies in RA patients in the acute stage compared with RA patients, responding to therapy were shown. Thus we have shown the presence of antibodies, soluble receptors to TNF and cytokine in the serum of relatively healthy donors and RA patients, herewith taking into account significant changes in the relative content of the subclasses of autoantibodies and in the content of TNF and soluble receptors we can talk about the functional role of the autoantibodies and soluble receptors to TNF in the pathology

Екологічні засади ведення лісового господарства в Україні в контексті євроінтеграції

Nowadays, in Ukraine, the state forest policy needs to be reformed due to belonging of forests to various departments and ministries, and respectively different requirements for their exploitation. The state of forest ecosystems deteriorates due to unsatisfactory sanitary condition of forests, deforestation of shelter belts, improperly occurring processes of afforestation of non-habitats, land reclamation fund, forest reproduction and reforestation. The category of protected forests got a lot of secondary forest ecosystems that change as a result of natural successions, often characterized by unsatisfactory sanitary condition, which are the centres for the spread of phytopathological phenomena and require immediate intervention, which is prohibited by the current legislation. On significant areas of Ukraine there are processes of secondary spontaneous sylvatization of former agricultural lands which legislative status is still not regulated. Modern climate change has led to a rise in the natural upper boundary of the forest in the Ukrainian Carpathians, and anthropogenic drainage of the wetlands of Polissya predetermines their spontaneous sylvatization. Preservation of ecosystem diversity of forests and forest management "close to nature" is now the main priority. To accomplish these tasks, it is necessary to have a clear idea of ​​the forests of protected areas and exploitable forests that require the reformatting. The first step in this direction in Ukraine is to classify all forest ecosystems on a unified principle and establish all types of forests that need to be preserved. It is necessary to take into account the existing approaches in the forestry sector, the presence of scientists and forestry specialists who are capable of carrying out this work in a short time. The next step is to have a critical analysis of the resulting data set for the entire territory of Ukraine for the establishment of forest types that are already under certain forms of the bequest, and which should still be given a conservation status. In general, this should become one of the key aspects of the national program "Forests of Ukraine – 2030", which will allow not only to cover all available forest types in Ukraine with the regime of conservation, but also become an example for keeping close-to-nature forest management at the level of each forestry of our state.Збереження екосистемного різноманіття лісів і ведення лісового господарства на засадах, наближених до природи, має бути основним пріоритетом лісової політики сьогодення. Для виконання цих завдань потрібні чіткі уявлення про те, що ми маємо зберігати і які ліси формувати. Першим кроком у цьому напрямі в Україні повинна бути класифікація усіх лісових екосистем за єдиним принципом і встановлено всі типи лісів, які потребують збереження. Для цього необхідно врахувати існуючі в лісівництві підходи, наявність науковців і фахівців лісового господарства, які здатні здійснити таку роботу. Наступним кроком має бути критичний аналіз отриманого масиву даних для всієї території України для встановлення типів лісу, які вже перебувають під певними формами заповідання, а яким ще варто надати природоохоронного статусу. Важливим є повна інвентаризація природоохоронного фонду в межах держави і встановлення лісів, які потребують активних форм охорони з метою відновлення їх первинної структурно-функціональної організації, а також лісових ділянок, що мають бути вилучені із заповідних територій як вторинні екосистеми, які не мають цінності для збереження екосистемного різноманіття, а подекуди є потужним джерелом розмноження та розселення фітопатологічних організмів

Polymorphisms in the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Genes Affect the Expression Levels of Membrane-Bound Type I and Type II Receptors

The level of TNF receptors on various cells of immune system and its association with the gene polymorphism were investigated. Determining the levels of membrane-bound TNF receptors on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed by flow cytometry using BD QuantiBRITE calibration particles. Soluble TNF receptor (sTNFRs) levels were determined by ELISA and genotyping was determined by PCR-RFLP. Homozygous TT individuals at SNP −609G/T TNFRI (rs4149570) showed lower levels of sTNFRI compared to GG genotype carriers. Homozygous carriers of CC genotype at SNP −1207G/C TNFRI (rs4149569) had lower expression densities of membrane-bound TNFRI on intact CD14 + monocytes compared to individuals with the GC genotype. The frequency differences in the CD3 + and CD19 + cells expressing TNFRII in relation to SNP −1709A/T TNFRII (rs652625) in healthy individuals were also determined. The genotype CC in SNP −3609C/T TNFRII (rs590368) was associated with a lower percentage of CD14 + cells expressing TNFRII compared to individuals with the CT genotype. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had no significant changes in the frequencies of genotypes. Reduced frequency was identified for the combination TNFRI −609GT + TNFRII −3609CC only. The polymorphisms in genes represent one of cell type-specific mechanisms affecting the expression levels of membrane-bound TNF receptors and TNF -mediated signaling

MODERN TRENDS OF THE SPREADING LEPTOSPIROSIS OVERSEAS

In this study the increased number of the imported cases from endemic countries or occurring of the disease in earlier unknown natural leptospirosis foci in the world among participants of various extreme competitions, hostilities and travelers was revealed at analysis of the epidemiological leptospirosis situation. New human risk groups subjected to infection were determined

INFLUENCE OF BRUCELLA ABORTUS I-206 THERMOEXTRACTS IN L- AND S-FORM ON MORPHOFUNCTIONAL STATE OF WHITE MICE ADRENAL GLANDS

Live vaccines are used for specific brucellosis prophylaxis in the Russian Federation. These vaccines in addition to a number of  positive properties have some limitations including high  agglutinogenicity, reactogenicity, sensitizing activity. In this  connection, the development of subunit vaccines without adverse  reactions is a perspective direction in modern vaccinology. Complex  morphological research of the adrenal glands and comparative  analysis of peripheral blood (leukogram, leukocytic index and index  of allergization) of white mice immunized with thermoextracts (ТE)  of Brucella abortus I-206 in L- and S-form and inactivated vaccine B.  abortus 19 ВА were conducted. It was shown that ТE unlike B.  abortus 19 ВА caused minor alterations in peripheral blood of the  experimental animals in early periods of observation (increase of allergization index, changes in leukogram) with the subsequent  levelling to the values in control. Expositions of the adrenal gland  zoning were determined and cellular structure was estimated in  consideration of morphometry. Changes in architectonics of the mice  organ immunized with B. abortus 19 ВА were revealed. These alterations could indicate the stress-reaction development. In  case of ТE application the given changes were insignificant and were  developed in early periods. The revealed morphological changes in  adrenal glands of laboratory animals permit to prove the necessity of  realization the further experimental researches to ТE application  as the components for development of a subcellular brucellosis vaccine

Effect of different types of immunosuppressive therapy on the parameters of TNF receptor expression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background. The balance of TNF receptor expression on immune cells is a key factor determining cytokine-induced activation of proapoptotic or proliferative signaling pathways. As a result, the changes in cytokine level and in expression of its receptors may be one of the mechanisms that regulate the level of systemic and local inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine the degree of therapy effectiveness.   The aim. To study the effect of rheumatoid arthritis therapy on the change in the patterns of TNF receptors expression in terms of co-expression and the number of receptors on the main subpopulations of immunocompetent cells.Materials and methods. A comparative analysis of the profiles of TNF receptors type 1 and 2 (TNFR1/2) co-expression was carried out in patients with RA (n = 16) before and after having inpatient effective therapy and in comparison with a group of healthy individuals (n = 21). We compared the number of receptors and the proportion of cells expressing the corresponding receptor using flow cytometry and studied the subpopulations of regulatory T cells, T cells, B cells, and monocytes.   Results. In patients with RA, there is a significant redistribution of TNFR1 and TNFR2 expression on immunocompetent cells, while the intensity of changes is associated not only with disease severity indicators, but also with the therapy received. The key adaptive mechanism of the TNF system in long-term treatment refractory course of RA is a change in the proportion of double-positive TNFR1+TNFR2+ cells, while the effectiveness of therapy and clinical indicators of the disease severity are associated with individual variability in the parameters of type 2 receptors expression.   Conclusions. The data obtained confirm the existence of a relationship between an imbalance in the expression of type 1 and type 2 TNF receptors on immunocompetent cells and the effectiveness of response to therapy. The identified patterns of typical changes in TNFR1/2 co-expression in RA can be used as potential therapeutic targets and predictive factors for the effectiveness of therapy

CO-EXPRESSION OF MEMBRANE-BOUND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-α RECEPTORS IN MAJOR SUBPOPULATIONS OF IMMUNOCOMPETENT CELLS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AS WELL AS BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

A pleiotropic cytokine TNFα is an important inflammatory mediator of a number of diseases; its biological functions are fulfilled through two different receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. Changes in the ratio between these types of receptors shifting the balance between the pro-apoptotic and proliferation signaling pathways play a crucial role in eliciting the cell response to TNFα. The pathological processes in the body can alter the levels of TNFR1 and TNFR2 expression on the cells involved in disease development. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the level of co-expression of type 1 and 2 TNFα receptors in the major subpopulations of peripheral blood cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and bronchial asthma (BA). The greatest changes in the percentage of cells expressing TNFR1 and TNFR2 were revealed for the B-lymphocyte subpopulation. For the T-lymphocyte subpopulation, there were some differences in the percentage of cells expressing exclusively TNFR1 in RA and BA patients compared with those in healthy subjects, as well as between the RA and BA groups. A higher percentage of double-negative monocytes was observed in patients with BA and RA compared to healthy subjects. These findings indicate that the coexpression profile of TNFR1 and TNFR2 receptors in patients with RA and BA differ within these groups as well as compared to that in healthy subjects. These immune cell populations are actively involved in the pathogenesis of both rheumatoid arthritis and bronchial asthma, so the results may indicate that these cells might show different responses to TNFα as the percentage and the number of receptors on their surface vary