Serum Proteogenomic Investigation of C-X-C Motif Chemokine 10 (CXCL10) and Zika Virus RNA in Pregnant Women of Nigerian Tertiary Teaching Hospitals

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a type of mosquito-borne virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus. It has been associated with microcephaly and neurological disorders in newborns. During Zika virus infection in pregnant women, the chemoattractant C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) shows a significant increase, up to 200-fold and has been linked to the pathogenesis of ZIKV. This study investigated the relationship between Zika virus infection and CXCL10 overexpression. Sixty-two samples were positive for ELISA while Seven out of sixty-two seropositive samples were confirmed by PCR for the presence of Zika virus RNA, indicating an 11.1% prevalence. The number of ZIKV RNA detected in the seven serum samples ranged from 1.0 x 102 to 11.6 x 103 copies/ml. Among samples positive for ZIKV RNA, gene expression analysis revealed regulation values ranging from 1.0 to 126.2. CXCL10 was overexpressed in four of the seven samples, with 4-, 24-, 27-, and 126-fold increase. This study linked Zika viremia with CXCL10 overexpression in pregnant women and identified age, gestational age, and ZIKV-related symptoms as risk factors for CXCL10 overexpression in pregnant women infected with ZIKV Keywords: ZIKV; CXCL10; Disease Epidemiology; Infection Diagnosis; Pregnancy Complications; Serology