Some implications of genetic biomarkers in occupational epidemiology and practice

“…Apart from collecting detailed demographic and workplace information, the field of epidemiology also has a long history of using biological samples and measurements in its research 36) . Biological sampling comprises another important facet of the HCS, with common biochemistry including electrolytes, full blood count, cholesterol, liver function, fasting glucose and fibrinogen, being routinely undertaken as part of the study's clinical component.…”

Section: Biological Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multifaceted epidemiologic research with the potential to identify genetic biomarkers can be seen as a continuum between basic sciences, clinical, occupational and public health practice 36) . As such, the examination of genetic biomarkers enabled by collecting biologicals has become an important issue for occupational epidemiology in recent years, for a variety of reasons.…”

Section: Genetic Biomarkersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring New Frontiers in Occupational Epidemiology: The Hunter Community Study (HCS) from Australia

2010

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This article describes a pioneering longitudinal investigation from Australia known as the Hunter Community Study (HCS). The HCS investigates retired and near-retired persons randomly selected in a regional area on the heavily populated east coast. As it collects detailed survey, clinical, and biological measures, the HCS is more comprehensive than most other research of this nature. The HCS also has significant occupational implications at an international level, being one of the first Australian studies to take a full, lifetime occupational history linked to job exposures. Longitudinal cohort studies with exposure assessment, such as the HCS offer epidemiologists around the world a clear opportunity for examining and evaluating the long-term risks of employment across a variety of workplace settings. It is only with detailed datasets that continuing progress can be made in elucidating mechanisms of occupational disease causation in the new millennium.

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“…Occupational settings provide a “natural” cohort of exposed and control populations by virtue of the workplace setting (i.e., coal mine vs. office workers). With the evolution of molecular or genetic epidemiology, occupational exposure assessments now consider the threshold of acceptable risk conferred by the prevalence of specific genetic biomarkers among the general population [ 31 , 32 ]. The identification of biomarkers that increase the probability of disease occurrence has global implications in protecting worker safety and health.…”

Section: The Emerging Role Of Genetics In the Etiology Of Occupationally-related Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

Gene-Environment Interactions in the Development of Complex Disease Phenotypes

Ramos

Olden

2008

IJERPH

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The lack of knowledge about the earliest events in disease development is due to the multi-factorial nature of disease risk. This information gap is the consequence of the lack of appreciation for the fact that most diseases arise from the complex interactions between genes and the environment as a function of the age or stage of development of the individual. Whether an environmental exposure causes illness or not is dependent on the efficiency of the so-called “environmental response machinery” (i.e., the complex of metabolic pathways that can modulate response to environmental perturbations) that one has inherited. Thus, elucidating the causes of most chronic diseases will require an understanding of both the genetic and environmental contribution to their etiology. Unfortunately, the exploration of the relationship between genes and the environment has been hampered in the past by the limited knowledge of the human genome, and by the inclination of scientists to study disease development using experimental models that consider exposure to a single environmental agent. Rarely in the past were interactions between multiple genes or between genes and environmental agents considered in studies of human disease etiology. The most critical issue is how to relate exposure-disease association studies to pathways and mechanisms. To understand how genes and environmental factors interact to perturb biological pathways to cause injury or disease, scientists will need tools with the capacity to monitor the global expression of thousands of genes, proteins and metabolites simultaneously. The generation of such data in multiple species can be used to identify conserved and functionally significant genes and pathways involved in gene-environment interactions. Ultimately, it is this knowledge that will be used to guide agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in decisions regarding biomedical research funding and policy.

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Some implications of genetic biomarkers in occupational epidemiology and practice

Cited by 20 publications

References 63 publications

Genetics and epidemiology

Genetics and epidemiology

Exploring New Frontiers in Occupational Epidemiology: The Hunter Community Study (HCS) from Australia

Gene-Environment Interactions in the Development of Complex Disease Phenotypes

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