Fig. 1
From: A pathway level analysis of PFAS exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus
Novel biomarkers in the pathway between PFAS exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) development. PFAS targets the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis, disrupting thyroid hormone homeostasis, which may contribute to GDM development. While the thyroid may be the main target for hormone disruption, PFAS can also exert toxicity to other tissues involved in this regulatory pathway. Abbreviations: FT3, free triiodothyronine; FT4, free thyroxine; hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin; HOMA-%β, homeostatic model assessments of β-cell function; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model of assessment of insulin resistance; T3, triiodothyronine; T4, thyroxine; TRH, thyrotropin-releasing hormone; TSH, thyrotropin