Depuis l’antiquité, la route de la soie est considérée comme le réseau de communications le plus important de tout l’espace eurasiatique. Après plusieurs siècles passés dans l’oubli, la (re)découverte de ces tracés mythiques a permis la mise en valeur culturelle et touristique de ce patrimoine immatériel. La dernière représentation de la route émane de la Chine en 2014. Présentée par Pékin en mai 2014, cette nouvelle carte de la route de la soie a pour intention d’expliquer les projets, les objectifs d’influence et les alliances de la Chine à l’intérieur de l’espace eurasiatique – débordant jusqu’aux rives de l’Afrique orientale. En retraçant la route de la soie, aujourd’hui un synonyme de géopolitique « à la chinoise », cet article aura comme objectif le décryptage de cette importante cartographie du pouvoir selon l’empire du Milieu.

Background: Environmental exposure to dioxin, an active component of cigarette smoke and air pollution has been linked to increased myocardial infarction. Smooth muscle cells (SMC) in the coronary vasculature play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque remodeling due to their phenotypic plasticity. We have previously found strong dioxin response element activity in modulated SMC of atherosclerotic lesion. In this study, we aimed to understand the effect of dioxin on vascular SMC and atherosclerosis phenotype. Methods: Primary human coronary artery SMC (HCASMC) treated in culture with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or vehicle control were used to perform RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq. ChIP-Seq was performed with antibodies against Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and TCF21. Tamoxifen inducible SMC-lineage tracing reporter mice were used to assess the in-vivo effect of TCDD on aortic SMC. After 8 weeks of high fat diet (HFD), followed by 8 weeks of TCDD injection and HFD, the aortic sinus was collected for histology and single-cell sequencing (10X Genomics). Results: Analysis of the RNA-Seq from TCDD treated HCASMC showed differential enrichment of pathways related to cell migration and vascular development. Further, ATAC-Seq data showed a significant enrichment for pathways regulating vascular development, cell migration, and apoptosis. There was an overall increase in chromatin accessibility suggesting transcriptional activation with TCDD. We observed enrichment for AHR ChIP-Seq peaks in the open chromatin regions along with a significant reciprocal reduction in TCF21 occupancy. The scRNA-Seq of mice treated with TCDD exposure showed differential gene expression of SMC-lineage cells enriching for extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, inflammation, unfolded protein response, and apoptotic process, and histological analysis of the aortic sinus showed increased lesion area with increased presence of SMC-lineage cells and Cd68 + cells compared to control. Conclusion: Dioxin adversely remodels atherosclerotic plaque affecting pathways of ECM organization, inflammation and unfolded protein response in SMC, partly by modifying chromatin accessibility and occupancy of key transcription factors of phenotypic modulation.

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Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum bacterium. Oral manifestations of syphilis are always a challenging diagnosis because broad clinical aspect is easily missed due to other oral manifestations of local, infectious, or systemic origins. In addition, in HIV-positive patients, primary syphilis can usually have a symptomless course. Case description:A 44-year-old HIV-positive male patient, living with the infection for 17 years, working as a sex worker, presenting primary syphilis with syphilitic ulceration of the tongue. The lesion was unique, indurated, with irregular margins and whitish/red base. The patient reported no pain or discomfort in the lesion. This last information along with a detailed oral clinical exami nation was important to help exclude initial diagnostic hypothesis of traumatic ulcer and other oral manifestations. Diagnosis of syphilis was only made after clinical history of patient being associated with data of chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and venereal disease research laboratory.Conclusions: Health professionals should be aware of possible oral manifestations of primary syphilis, especially at risk groups. Moreover, the association of clinical history with laboratory tests is necessary for final diagnosis.