Ambrosone C B, Kadlubar F F
National Center for Toxicological Research, Division of Molecular Epidemiology, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
Am J Epidemiol. 1997 Dec 1;146(11):912-8. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009217.
The emergence of "molecular epidemiology" as a scientific approach within the fields of epidemiology and toxicology has led to spirited discussion within the biomedical community, particularly in the area of cancer research. At scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed journals, numerous issues have been raised not only with regard to the practice of molecular epidemiology, but also with regard to its role in traditional epidemiology, toxicology, and risk assessment. Furthermore, the utility of information gleaned from such studies and the implications for public health have been the subject of considerable debate. Conceptual differences in how one views the function of epidemiologic and laboratory research may be reflected in discussions on the merits of molecular epidemiology. This commentary reviews some of the prevailing attitudes toward molecular epidemiology, with the goal of identifying areas of concern and suggesting means of achieving harmonization. The need for cross-training of epidemiologists and laboratory scientists is discussed, and suggestions are made for building successful collaborative relations across disciplines.
“分子流行病学”作为流行病学和毒理学领域内一种科学方法的出现，引发了生物医学界的热烈讨论，尤其是在癌症研究领域。在科学会议和同行评审期刊上，不仅提出了许多关于分子流行病学实践的问题，还提出了其在传统流行病学、毒理学和风险评估中的作用问题。此外，从这类研究中收集到的信息的效用以及对公共卫生的影响一直是大量辩论的主题。人们对流行病学和实验室研究功能的看法上的概念差异，可能会在关于分子流行病学优点的讨论中得到体现。本评论回顾了一些对分子流行病学的普遍态度，目的是找出令人关切的领域并提出实现协调一致的方法。讨论了流行病学家和实验室科学家进行交叉培训的必要性，并就跨学科建立成功的合作关系提出了建议。
