Fowle J R, Sexton K
Office of Health Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460.
Environ Health Perspect. 1992 Nov;98:235-41. doi: 10.1289/ehp.9298235.
Recent advances in molecular and cellular biology allow for measurement of biologic events or substances that may provide markers of exposure, effect, or susceptibility in humans. The application of these new and emerging techniques to environmental health offers the possibility of significantly reducing the uncertainties that traditionally hamper risk assessments. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health research program emphasizes the validation of appropriate biologic markers and their application to high-priority Agency issues. The rationale for EPA's biomarker research program is presented, and future research directions are discussed. Exposure biomarkers will receive most of the research emphasis in the near term, particularly body burden indicators of exposure to high-priority chemicals, such as benzene, ozone, selected heavy metals, and organophosphate pesticides. Research on effects biomarkers will attempt to validate the relationship between the observed biological effects and adverse health consequences in humans, especially for cancer, pulmonary toxicity, immunotoxicity, and reproductive/developmental toxicity.
分子和细胞生物学的最新进展使得测量生物事件或物质成为可能，这些生物事件或物质可能提供人类接触、效应或易感性的标志物。将这些新兴技术应用于环境卫生领域，有可能显著减少传统上阻碍风险评估的不确定性。美国环境保护局（EPA）的健康研究计划强调对适当生物标志物的验证及其在该机构高度优先问题中的应用。本文阐述了EPA生物标志物研究计划的基本原理，并讨论了未来的研究方向。近期，接触生物标志物将成为研究的重点，特别是对接触高优先级化学品（如苯、臭氧、某些重金属和有机磷农药）的体内负荷指标的研究。效应生物标志物的研究将试图验证所观察到的生物学效应与人类不良健康后果之间的关系，尤其是在癌症、肺毒性、免疫毒性和生殖/发育毒性方面。
