Microbial Disturbances Caused by Pesticide Exposure and Their Predictive Implications for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that pesticide exposure and gut microbiome alterations are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. Understanding the complex interactive effect of these factors on GDM is essential. In a cohort of 852 pregnant women, we assessed pesticide levels in serum and analyzed the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We explored the interactions between pesticides and gut microbiota, assessed their roles in GDM development, and proposed a predictive model based on identified biomarkers. We identified an environmental risk score (ERS), denoting the pesticide mixture level significantly associated with GDM, with the gut microbiota, particularly involving the Dorea branch, playing a crucial mediating role. In addition, we found an interactive effect of pesticide exposure and gut microbiota on GDM risk. Notably, low Prevotella enrichment combined with high ERS arisen from pesticide levels led to a 10.36-fold increased GDM risk. The identified pesticide and gut microbial biomarkers achieved high predictive accuracy for GDM (AUC: 0.833, 95% CI: 0.748-0.918). Collectively, maternal pesticide exposure may induce disrupted microbiome-dependent glycemic alteration, necessitating future assessment of clinical implications. Potential GDM markers can serve as targets for therapeutic intervention caused by pesticides, leading to prevention.