Untargeted Metabolomics Insights into Newborns with Congenital Zika Infection

Zika virus (ZIKV), an emerging virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family, causes severe neurological clinical complications and has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, fetal abnormalities known collectively as congenital Zika syndrome, and microcephaly. Studies have shown that ZIKV infection can alter cellular metabolism, directly affecting neural development. Brain growth requires controlled cellular metabolism, which is essential for cell proliferation and maturation. However, little is known regarding the metabolic profile of ZIKV-infected newborns and possible associations related to microcephaly. Furthering the understanding surrounding underlying mechanisms is essential to developing personalized treatments for affected individuals. Thus, metabolomics, the study of the metabolites produced by or modified in an organism, constitutes a valuable approach in the study of complex diseases. Here, 26 serum samples from ZIKV-positive newborns with or without microcephaly, as well as controls, were analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach involving gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Significant alterations in essential and non-essential amino acids, as well as carbohydrates (including aldohexoses, such as glucose or mannose) and their derivatives (urea and pyruvic acid), were observed in the metabolic profiles analyzed. Our results provide insight into relevant metabolic processes in patients with ZIKV and microcephaly.