Vine M F
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7400.
Adv Dent Res. 1994 Jun;8(1):92-9. doi: 10.1177/08959374940080011601.
Biological markers can be conceptualized in terms of categories of markers that form a continuum representing a sequence of events from exposure to disease. These categories include markers of internal dose, biologically effective dose, early response, and disease. Outside of this sequence are susceptibility factors that can act at any point along the way to modify the effects of external exposures on disease outcomes. Examples of the use of these different types of markers in epidemiologic research are provided. There are many factors that one must consider when selecting a biological marker for use in an epidemiologic study. These factors include: the objectives of the study, the availability and specificity of potential markers, the feasibility of measuring the markers in various biological media, the invasiveness of the techniques necessary to measure the markers, the amount of biological specimen needed for analysis, the time to appearance of the markers in the biological media, the persistence of the markers in biological media, the variability of marker levels within and between individuals, the stability of markers in storage, as well as the cost, sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of the assays used to measure the markers. Each of these characteristics is discussed. The usefulness of biological markers in an epidemiologic study depends on the objectives of the study and whether the properties of the markers fulfill the objectives of the study in a feasible and cost-effective manner.
生物标志物可以根据构成连续统一体的标志物类别来概念化，该连续统一体代表从暴露到疾病的一系列事件。这些类别包括内剂量标志物、生物有效剂量标志物、早期反应标志物和疾病标志物。在此序列之外的是易感性因素，它们可以在这个过程中的任何一点发挥作用，以改变外部暴露对疾病结局的影响。文中提供了这些不同类型标志物在流行病学研究中的应用实例。在选择用于流行病学研究的生物标志物时，必须考虑许多因素。这些因素包括：研究目的、潜在标志物的可用性和特异性、在各种生物介质中测量标志物的可行性、测量标志物所需技术的侵入性、分析所需生物标本的数量、标志物在生物介质中出现的时间、标志物在生物介质中的持久性、个体内部和个体之间标志物水平的变异性、标志物在储存中的稳定性，以及用于测量标志物的检测方法的成本、敏感性、特异性和可靠性。文中对这些特征中的每一个都进行了讨论。生物标志物在流行病学研究中的有用性取决于研究目的，以及标志物的特性是否以可行且具有成本效益的方式实现了研究目的。
