Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common male cancers in Western countries and takes the third place in morbidity in Ukraine. It is a highly heterogeneous disease. Aim: To analyze relative expression levels of the TGFB1, IL1B, FOS, EFNA5, TAGLN, PLAU, and EPDR1 genes in malignant and non-malignant prostate tissues. Materials and Methods: Total RNA was isolated from 16 prostate adenomas, 37 prostate adenocarcinomas, and 29 conventionally normal prostate tissues. To analyze relative gene expression levels the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed. Results: The significant alterations in the relative expression levels were found in all analyzed sample groups for 4 genes: FOS, EFNA5, IL1B, and TGFB1. We have found that FOS and EFNA5 were more frequently overexpressed in carcinomas with Gleason score ≤ 7, compared with adenomas. On contrary, PLAU expression levels were decreased more frequently in prostate cancers, compared with conventionally normal tissues. Noteworthy, we found positive correlation between IL1B expression level and PSA (for patients with slight PSA increase, no more than 20.0 ng/ml). Conclusion: The EFNA5, FOS, IL1B, PLAU, and TGFB1 genes that showed significant expression alterations in prostate tumors, compared with conventionally normal prostate tissue, may play role in prostate cancer development and should be further investigated.

To identify and characterize the SARS-CoV-2 variants, collected upon the new wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Ivano-Frankivs'k region of Ukraine, using the whole genome genotyping. Methods. The parallel whole genome sequencing was performed on the processed RNA, isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs of 19 patients, using an Ion GeneStudio S5 Plus System. Results. All the identified SARS-CoV-2 genotypes were referred to 20I/501Y.V1 clade, the variant VUI202012/01 GRY (the B.1.1.7 lineage). In the analyzed virus variants forty-seven various mutations were found. Besides the founder 20I/501Y.V1 missense mutations, several unique alterations were detected, including those in the S-and N-proteins of SARS-CoV-2, that might have clinical and epidemiological relevance. Conclusions. The current wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ukraine is associated not only with seasonal fluctuations in the virus transmission, but also with the emergence of more aggressive virulent variants, such as B.1.1.7, which basically displaced previous strains and affects the younger population.

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