Mathematical modeling in assessing the risk of restenosis after carotid endarterectomy.

Carotid endarterectomy is the main way to combat atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries, which disrupts cerebral circulation. The generally accepted marker of atherogenesis risk are hemodynamic indices associated with near-wall shear stress. The purpose of the work is to conduct a comparative analysis of hemodynamic indices in various carotid bifurcation models. The influence of a virtual change in the geometric shape of the model in order to optimize hemodynamic indices is also being studied. On the basis of computed angiography data, carotid bifurcation models are constructed, in which critical zones of hemodynamic indices are built using computational fluid dynamics. A comparative analysis of the critical zones for different classes of models is carried out. Comparison of averaged indices for critical zones between 'normal' and post-operative groups gave more than 5-x worse results for the latter. The same results for the near-bifurcation parts of the zones give a 25% better result for postoperative models. Virtual 'removal' of insignificant plaques leads to a deterioration of the indices of up to 40% in the places of the plaque's former location. The described method makes it possible to build the indices critical zones and compare them for various types of models. A technique for virtual changing the shape of a vessel (virtual surgery) is proposed. The novelty of the approach lies in the use for comparative analysis both real vessel models and hypothetical 'improved' virtual ones, as well in the proposed division of post-operative model's critical zones into subzones of different genesis.

Message in a Bottle-Metabarcoding enables biodiversity comparisons across ecoregions.

BACKGROUND: Traditional biomonitoring approaches have delivered a basic understanding of biodiversity, but they cannot support the large-scale assessments required to manage and protect entire ecosystems. This study used DNA metabarcoding to assess spatial and temporal variation in species richness and diversity in arthropod communities from 52 protected areas spanning 3 Canadian ecoregions. RESULTS: This study revealed the presence of 26,263 arthropod species in the 3 ecoregions and indicated that at least another 3,000-5,000 await detection. Results further demonstrate that communities are more similar within than between ecoregions, even after controlling for geographical distance. Overall α-diversity declined from east to west, reflecting a gradient in habitat disturbance. Shifts in species composition were high at every site, with turnover greater than nestedness, suggesting the presence of many transient species. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in species composition among their arthropod communities confirm that ecoregions are a useful synoptic for biogeographic patterns and for structuring conservation efforts. The present results also demonstrate that metabarcoding enables large-scale monitoring of shifts in species composition, making it possible to move beyond the biomass measurements that have been the key metric used in prior efforts to track change in arthropod communities.

[Rehabilitation problems in Top Rated Databases]. / Problemy reabilitatsii v vysokoreitingovykh bazakh dannykh.

Development of medical rehabilitation technologies are the investments into «human capital¼. The effectiveness criterion of the scientific institutions work dealing with the problems of rehabilitation is the scientific publication activity of their employees in this subject in high-ranking international databases (DB).Purpose of the study. Analysis of the state of the scientific publication flow in the field of rehabilitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from the Web of Science and Scopus databases for November 2019, depth from 1991 to 2018 were used. RESULTS: It was revealed that the high level of the publication rating of Russia, which was noted in 1991-1992, has not yet been achieved in the Scopus database for medical rehabilitation. Measures have been identified to enhance it by increasing the growth rate of the Russian publication flow. It also noted the necessity to reduce Russia's dependence on the monopoly of foreign publishing corporations by creating domestic Russian resources and borrowing the experience of foreign colleagues. CONCLUSION: The necessary measures should be taken at the level of authors, scientific organizations, the scientific community and the State in order to increase the Russian scientific publication flow in the direction of «Rehabilitation¼ in foreign top-rated databases. Authors of interdisciplinary articles need to correctly present metadata indicating the relation of the work to the problem of rehabilitation. The necessity is substantiated not only to increase the share of Russian scientific journals in international databases, but also to create domestic high-rating databases, as well as to harmonize the existing regulatory legal acts in regards of terms and definitions in the field of rehabilitation, to bring the headings of the Universal Decimal Classification aligned with the headings of high-ranking international databases. Given the high social significance of the «Rehabilitation¼ area, it is necessary to include it in the priority list and funded areas at a level corresponding to global trends.

Productivity of steers of different genotypes: forecast based on interior indicators / [Produtividade de novilhos de diferentes genótipos: previsão com base em indicadores internos]

Meat productivity and quality of beef are determined by a number of factors, including pedigree traits of animals. Meat productivity is closely related to the biological patterns of their growth and development. Considering the patterns that affect meat productivity enables effective growing and fattening of livestock and obtaining commercially viable beef. To predict economically useful traits in beef cattle breeding, interior indicators can be used, as they reflect the metabolic picture of the animal's body. The research studies in physiology and biochemistry of livestock aimed at revealing the persistent mechanisms of a growing animal organism make them relevant. The article identifies a correlation between the interior indicators and the fattening indicators of three experimental groups of steers. The main forecasting factors of meat productivity indicators have been substantiated. Regression coefficients have been found and show how much the live weight varies depending on the determining factors. Meat productivity predicting procedures have been modeled with respect to the protein content in blood serum.(AU)

A produtividade e a qualidade da carne bovina são determinadas por diversos fatores, incluindo características de pedigree dos animais. A produtividade da carne tem relação íntima com os padrões biológicos de seu crescimento e desenvolvimento. A consideração dos padrões que afetam a produtividade da carne possibilita o crescimento e engorda eficazes dos rebanhos e a obtenção de carne bovina comercialmente viável. Para prever características economicamente úteis na criação de gado de corte, indicadores de interior podem ser usados, visto que refletem a imagem metabólica do corpo do animal. Tornam-se relevantes os estudos de pesquisa em fisiologia e bioquímica da pecuária com o objetivo de revelar os mecanismos persistentes de um organismo animal em crescimento. O artigo identifica uma correlação entre os indicadores internos e os indicadores de engorda de três grupos experimentais de novilhos. Os principais fatores de previsão dos indicadores de produtividade de carnes já foram comprovados. Coeficientes de regressão foram encontrados e mostram o quanto o peso vivo varia em função dos fatores determinantes. Os procedimentos de predição da produtividade da carne foram modelados em relação ao conteúdo de proteína no soro sanguíneo.(AU)

[Medical rehabilitation: domestic scientific publication stream]. / Meditsinskaya reabilitatsiya: otechestvennyi nauchnyi publikatsionnyi potok.

The formation of a high-tech healthcare system is provided for by national projects. The expected effectiveness of the implementation of these projects is possible only with full-fledged scientific support, which is reflected in the publication scientific rating of Russia in highly rated international databases (DB). THE PURPOSE: Of this work is to analyze the Russian scientific publication stream on medical rehabilitation against the background of the world array of publications and its forecast for the near future. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of Web of Science and Scopus DB has investigated. Analysis of Russian scientific publications was carried out at various hierarchical levels of the DB: for Web of Science - across the entire DB (5 sections), under the section «Life Sciences and Biomedicine¼, under the subsection «Rehabilitation¼; for Scopus - in the division of knowledge «Medicine¼ (SUBJAREA (medi)), as well as in the subject area «Rehabilitation¼. The publication scientific rating of Russia was evaluated against the background of the world rating. Analysis of DB information was carried out for the period 1991-2018. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: For the period 1991-2018, the highest quantity of domestic publications on rehabilitation in the international rating databases Web of Science and Scopus was in 1991: 5.5% (3rd place out of 53 in the world ranking) and 2.3% (6th place out of 64), respectively. The forecast of the dynamics of the quantity, taking into account the data of this period, showed that Russia has practically reached this high level in Scopus, and at the current rate of growth in the publication activity of Russian scientists, in the Web of Science, it can only reach it by 2028.

[Method of preventing late hemorrhagic complications after surgical treatment of secondary neovascular glaucoma]. / Metod profilaktiki pozdnikh gemorragicheskikh oslozhnenii posle khirurgicheskogo lecheniia vtorichnoi neovaskuliarnoi glaukomy.

The existing methods of surgical treatment of secondary neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in 50-55% of cases are accompanied by hemorrhagic complications, which lead to persistent increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), complete loss of vision and even eye death. Decreasing the risks of hemorrhagic complications after surgical treatment of secondary NVG is one of topical problems of ophthalmology. PURPOSE: To study the effectiveness of a new method of preventing late hemorrhagic complications of surgical treatment of secondary NVG after central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 148 patients (150 eyes) with secondary NVG after CRVO. The patients were divided into two groups: 98 patients (100 eyes) of the 1st group underwent sinustrabeculectomy with cyclovitrectomy and traditional surgery preparation and post-op treatment; the second group consisted of 50 patients (50 eyes) who received surgical treatment in combination with interferon therapy. All patients were observed for 1.5 years with necessary ophthalmic examination methods. RESULTS: At the end of the follow-up, the second group showed statistically significant (p<0.01) reduction in the rates of hemorrhagic complications by 80%, progression of neovascularization of the iris and structures of the angle of anterior chamber of the eye by 50%, progression of neovascularization of the retina accompanied by the development of fibrosis of posterior hyaloid membrane by 37%. Reduction of the rate of complications positively affected the functional and tonometric results leading to improved visual acuity and preservation or even widening of the field of vision by 118%, as well as 60% improvement of tonometric results. CONCLUSION: The newly developed method of preventing post-surgical complications allowed significant reduction of the risks of hemorrhagic complications and improvement of functional and tonometric results of surgical treatment of patients with secondary NVG after CRVO.

[Transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking in patients with progressive keratoconus]. / Transépitelial'nyi krosslinking rogovichnogo kollagena pri progressiruiushchem keratokonuse.

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of transepithelial collagen crosslinking (CXL) in patients with keratoconus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 44 patients (44 eyes) with stage I-II progressive keratoconus. Patients were divided into two groups. The 1st group included 22 patients that had underwent transepithelial CXL. The 2nd group included 22 patients that had underwent traditional CXL. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: All patients of the group 2 all patients had corneal syndrome, which lasted 2-4 days. In the 1st group, 98% of the patients did not have corneal syndrome and their visual acuity (VA) was same as preoperative on the next day after the surgery. In the 2nd group, the mean level of postoperative pain was 1.7 times higher than in group 1 (p<0.05). Six months after the treatment, uncorrected VA (UCVA) in the 1st group has increased by 52%, the best corrected VA (BCVA) - by 17%, in the 2nd group UCVA increased by 53%, BCVA - by 20% (p<0.05). The demarcation line in the 2nd group was 2.2 times deeper than in the 1st group (p<0.05). Six months after the treatment in the 1st group mean K1, K2 and Km decreased by 1.5%, 2.3% and 1.7% respectively (p>0.05); in the 2nd group - by 3.6%, 3.9% and 4.1% (p<0.05) compared with the data before the surgery. One year after the treatment, mean Kmax in the 1st group decreased by 2.1%, in the 2nd group - by 3.9%. Differences with preoperative values were statistically significant only in the 2nd group. CONCLUSION: Transepitelial CXL is a safe procedure well tolerated by patients and leading to a rapid restoration of visual function. Transepithelial CXL proved to have reduced effectiveness in inducing improvement in keratometric values, its effect on visual acuity was likely to be similar to that of epithelium-off CXL.

Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy of dwarf hamsters Cricetulus Milne-Edwards, 1867 (Cricetidae, Rodentia): description of a new genus and reinstatement of another.

The taxonomy of the genus Cricetulus has been controversial. The phylogenetic relationships both within the genus and among Cricetulus lineages and other genera were examined using a set of five nuclear and two mitochondrial genes. The results demonstrate that Cricetulus in its current treatment is a polyphyletic assemblage because the subgenus Urocricetus is phylogenetically unrelated to all other Cricetulus and is a distant sister group to Phodopus. The grey hamster (C. migratorius) proved to be closer to Cricetus and Allocricetulus than to Cricetulus proper, which includes C. barabensis C. sokolovi and C. longicaudatus. Based on these results Urocricetus is elevated to the rank of a full genus and a new genus Nothocricetulus gen.nov. is described for the grey hamster.

Mono- and Combined Therapy of Metastasizing Breast Carcinoma 4T1 with Zoledronic Acid and Doxorubicin.

The efficiency of monotherapy with zoledronic acid (Resorba), doxorubicin, and their combination was studied on the model of metastasizing breast carcinoma in BALB/c mice. Doxorubicin monotherapy was accompanied by a significant increase in median survival up to 57 days (vs. 34 and 35 days in control groups); 27% animals survived for 90 days (duration of the study). Bioluminescence area of the primary tumor significantly decreased on days 21 and 28; the total number of visceral metastases also decreased according to magnetic-resonance imaging data. Resorba monotherapy produced no general toxic effect, the median survival increased to 64 days, and 90-day survival was 33%. Imaging techniques (magnetic-resonance imaging, microtomography, bioluminescent analysis) showed that Resorba delayed the development of the primary tumor (regression of luminescence area on days 21 and 28, regression of standardized bioluminescence intensity on day 28) and significantly reduced the number of visceral metastases in comparison with the control. Combination therapy was less effective than monotherapy with the same medications. Median survival was 55 days, 90-day survival was 13%, but magnetic-resonance imaging and bioluminescence analysis after combination therapy also showed delayed growth of the primary tumor and reduced number of visceral metastases. Microtomography revealed bone metastases in ~30% animals of the control group; in experimental groups, no bone metastases were found. The experiment with periosteal (distal epiphysis of the femur) injection of 4T1-Luc2 tumor cells demonstrated pronounced selective effectiveness of Resorba in relation to bone metastases. Monotherapy with Resorba can prevent the development of not only bone, but also visceral metastases of breast cancer.

[Spatial Distribution Features of the Root Biomass of Some Tree Species (Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Betula sp.)].

The effect of intra- and interspecific competition on the spatial distribution of the biomass and mortmass of woody plant roots in mixed tree stands has been studied. It has been found that the mass of roots in the samples from tree pairs of different species is higher than in the samples from monospecific pairs. Species-specific differences in the vertical distribution of roots and the effect of intra- and interspecific competition on the spatial structure of biomass have been shown. It has been noted that the proportion of dead roots increases almost linearly with depth.

[Factors limiting distribution of the rare lichen species Lobaria pulmonaria (in forests of the Kologriv Forest Nature Reserve)].

The distribution patterns and coenotic confines ofthe epiphytic lichen Lobaria pulmonaria have been studied. The factors limiting the habitat of this rare lichen species in the Kologriv Forest Nature Reserve (southern taiga subzone) have been revealed. It has been shown that L. pulmonaria is attracted to forest areas, which are less affected by humans and characterized by better light conditions than other communities. It has been found that L. pulmonaria is able to colonize trees at various ontogenetic states, beginning from virginal ones.

Modeling and integral X-ray, optical, and MRI visualization of multiorgan metastases of orthotopic 4T1 breast carcinoma in BALB/c mice.

A model of highly metastasizing orthotopic allogeneic breast carcinoma was reproduced and standardized in experiments on BALB/c mice. 4T1 cells characterized by high metastatic activity were transfected with red fluorescent protein (RFP) gene or firefly luciferase (Luc2) gene. Unmodified 4T1 cells and modified 4T1-RFP and 4T1-Luc2 cells were subcutaneously injected to mature female mice into the second mammary fat pads. Quantitative evaluation of the primary node and visceral metastases was performed using magnetic-resonance imaging, X-ray and optical tomography. Modification of 4T1 cells with RFP gene considerably reduced their invasive and metastatic potential and led to spontaneous regression of the primary tumor in 20% cases. Modification of 4T1 cells with Luc2 gene had practically no effect on proliferative, invasive, and metastatic characteristics of the tumor and provided the possibility of quantitative analysis of the primary tumor dynamics by the luminescence intensity. The survival median in mice receiving unmodified 4T1 cells and transfected 4T1-RFP and 4Т1-Luc2 cells was 32, 42, and 38 days, respectively. Neither primary node nor tumor metastases accumulated gadolinium-containing contrast agent and Alasens fluorescent tracer. After implantation of 4T1 and 4Т1-Luc2 cells, multiple metastases were more often detected in the lungs, liver, spleen, spine, and regional lymph nodes and less frequently in the brain, which corresponded to metastasizing profile of human breast cancer. The developed model of orthotopic breast carcinoma 4T1 in BALB/c mice with complex detection of multiple organ metastases using X-ray microCT, optical, and MRI can be recommended for preclinical studies of new antitumor preparations.

[Comparative efficacy of nitrofurans in children and adolescents with pyelonephritis in presence of crystalluria].

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of nitrofurans in children and adolescents with pyelonephritis in the presence of crystalluria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 50 patients aged 4-14 years with chronic pyelonephritis in the presence of dysmetabolism. The patients underwent general blood test, general urinalysis with an urocytogram, bacteriological examination of urine, biochemical test of serum (uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, urea, and creatinine) and 24-hour urinary excretion (uric acid, oxalates, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium) at hospital admission and over time. The treatment regimen for Group 1 patients after antibiotic therapy involved furamag, Group 2 received furagin. The drugs were used in a dosage of 2 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses for 14 days. Complaints, major clinical manifestations, crystalluria patterns, and a number of laboratory findings were analyzed over time. RESULTS: The urinary sediment showed leukocyturia and bacteriuria in all the patients, oxaluria in 70% of the patients, uraturia in 10%, and mixed crystalluria in 20%. The main etiological agent of pyelonephritis was Escherichia coli (48.4%). Increased serum uric acid concentrations were revealed in 14% of the patients. Daily urine tests revealed hyperoxaluria, hyperuricosuria, and hypercalciuria in 86, 18, and 8% of the patients, respectively; urinary magnesium excretion was reduced in 86%. After treatment, Group 1 patients showed a more marked therapeutic effect in terms of a number of indicators (leukocyturia, crystalluria, uricosuria, magnesuria). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the antibacterial therapy involving antibiotics and nitrofurans for an exacerbation of chronic pyelonephritis in the presence of crystalluria not only provides an anti-inflammatory effect, but also leads to reductions in the level of crystalluria and the urinary content of uric acid and calcium. There was a significantly marked reduction in crystalluria, serum uric acid, and urinary oxalates and calcium in the children taking furamag. Out of nitrofurans, furamag may be recommended as the drug of choice to treat urinary tract infections in the presence of crystalluria.

Generation of monoclonal antibodies to recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor.

Female BALB/c mice were subcutaneously immunized with recombinant VEGF-164. After 3 immunization cycles, splenic B cells from immunized mouse were fused with immortalized myeloma culture SP2/0-Ag14 cells. Screening of hybrid cells producing anti-VEGF antibodies was performed by ELISA and immunocytochemical analysis on cultured C6 glioma cells. Subsequent cloning yielded hybridoma stably expressing monoclonal anti-VEGF antibodies recognizing recombinant and native VEGF.

Expression of tight junction proteins by umbilical vein epithelial cells co-cultured with allogenic astrocytes.

We studied expression of tight junction proteins and formation of the barrier properties in the culture of umbilical vein endothelial cells under conditions of co-culturing with allogenic GFAP-positive astrocytes. This culturing significantly increases of expression of tight junction proteins (claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1). The formation of tight junctions significantly increased transendothelial resistance and reduced permeability for sodium fluorescein. Thus, reproducible in vitro model for the study of endothelial barrier properties was created based on co-culturing of umbilical endothelial cells and human astrocytes. This model can be used for evaluation of the permeability of the tissue-blood barriers for substances of different chemical structure and for studies of factors modulating the state of cell-cell contacts.

[Provisionality phenomenon in the histo- organo- and systemogenesis].

This review summarizes the results of the study of the provisionality phenomenon in the development of the organs of the urinary system (mesonephros, metanephros) in viviparous (human, rat) and oviparous (bird) amniotes, human organs of mixed origin (pituitary, ovary, stomodeum) reparative regeneration of supporting tissues (in humans and Syrian hamster), morphogenesis of primary hepatic cancer developing against the background of superinvasive opisthorchiasis. It is shown that during the development of tissues and organs, the stages of provisional and definitive histo- and organogenesis could be determined; saltatory mechanism is typical for embryonic organogenesis (formation of cartilaginous skeletal primordia, meso- and metanephrons) and foci of oncogenesis. Transformation zones of the type of tissue organization in the epithelium are located in the areas of contacts of the derivatives of different embryonic primordia. Mechanism of transformation of the epithelial layer of stomodeum and Rathke's pouch is provided by local activation of apoptosis and by the formation of the epithelial cells of a qualitatively new generation.

[Results of macular zone assessment with optical coherent tomography in patients with anterior endogenous uveitis].

45 patients (50 eyes) with anterior endogenous uveitis of various ethiology were included into the study. Examination included traditional ophthalmologic evaluation, laboratory testing and Optical Coherent Tomography (Stratus OCT 3000 "Carl Zeiss Meditec"). Retinal foveola thickness was showed to be 194-350 microm in 38 eyes (76%) compared with control group (everage value 172+21 microm). The average central macular thickness in examined group was 222+26 microm, it is more than in control group by 50 microm (p < 0.05). These results allow us to suggest that the majority of patients with anterior eye inflammation have inflammatory changes in posterior segment.

[Genetic diversity of ixodid tick-borne pathogens in Tomsk City and suburbs].

We studied two urban and two suburban biotypes of Tomsk City for tick-transmitted diseases prevalence in naturally collected ticks. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was found in 6.5% of tick samples, West Nile virus (WNV) in 2.2%, Borrelia spp. in 8%, Rickettsia spp. in 2.5%, and Ehrlichia spp. in 1.7% of samples. Genetic markers of Powassan virus, Bartonella spp., and Balbesia spp. were not found. Analysis of the genetic diversity of revealed pathogens resulted in the following conclusions: 1. TBEV strains belong to Siberian and Far-Eastern subtypes, and Far-Eastern subtype of TBEV is most frequent in urban biotypes (up to 43 % of urban strains of TBEV); 2. WNV strains belong to genotype la; 3. Borrelia spp. were classified as B. garinii; 4. Rickettsia spp. were classified as R. tarasevichiae and probably as a new Rickettsia raoultii subspecies; 5. Ehrlichia spp. were classified as E. muris. The coexistence of several pathogens was found in 5.7% of tick samples, and the most frequent combination was TBEV + Borrelia spp.

Probing diversity in freshwater fishes from Mexico and Guatemala with DNA barcodes.

The freshwater fish fauna of Mexico and Guatemala is exceptionally diverse with >600 species, many endemic. In this study, patterns of sequence divergence were analysed in representatives of this fauna using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) DNA barcodes for 61 species in 36 genera. The average divergence among conspecific individuals was 0.45%, while congeneric taxa showed 5.1% divergence. Three species of Poblana, each occupying a different crater lake in the arid regions of Central Mexico, have had a controversial taxonomic history but are usually regarded as endemics to a single lake. They possess identical COI barcodes, suggesting a very recent history of isolation. Representatives of the Cichlidae, a complex and poorly understood family, were well discriminated by barcodes. Many species of Characidae seem to be young, with low divergence values (<2%), but nevertheless, clear barcode clusters were apparent in the Bramocharax-Astyanax complex. The symbranchid, Opisthernon aenigmaticum, has been regarded as a single species ranging from Guatemala to Mexico, but it includes two deeply divergent barcode lineages, one a possible new endemic species. Aside from these special cases, the results confirm that DNA barcodes will be highly effective in discriminating freshwater fishes from Central America and that a comprehensive analysis will provide new important insights for understanding diversity of this fauna.

[Detection of the West Nile Virus and its genetic typing in ixodid ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) in Tomsk City and its suburbs].

Four tick species, Ixodes persulcatus, I. pavlovskyi, I. trianguliceps, and Dermacentor reticulatus, were found in Tomsk and its suburbs in 2006. The species I. pavlovskyi was found to be dominant in the localities situated in Tomsk City, and I. persulcatus was dominant in its suburbs. Viral RNA and viral antigen of the West Nile virus (WNV) were detected in the ticks I. pavlovskyi and I. persulcatus collected in the city and its suburbs by the RT PCR method and enzyme immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies against protein E of the WNV. Average rate of the WNV infected ticks varied from 5.2 up to 11.7% in different localities. Identification of the nucleotide sequence of the protein E gene fragment allowed classifying the cDNA obtained as genotype Ia of the WNV. The sequences are proved similar to the strain LEIV-Vlg99-27889-human of the WNV isolated in Volgograd. The obtained data showed that natural foci of the WNV virus can appear in the city and its suburbs probably involving two dominant tick species. The WNV infected imagoes, larvae, and nymphs of I. persulcatus and I. pavlovskyi were collected from small mammals, lizards, and birds. Therefore we presume that these hosts can be involved in the circulation and distribution of WNV on the territory of Tomsk Region.