title: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's role in development and application of biomarkers in public health practice.
abstract: An overview of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) biomarker program is presented in the context of the paradigm for biomarkers developed by the National Research Council (NRC, 1987, 1991). The status and projected utility of four biomarker studies conducted by NRC and sponsored by ATSDR, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are discussed. These studies include a review of relevant research on biomarkers for specific toxicologic end points, including reproductive toxicology, pulmonary toxicology, neurotoxicology, and immunotoxicology. Also, the scope of related research on exposure characterization being conducted by the ATSDR-sponsored research program at Rutgers University is reviewed. The potential impact of biomarkers on public health assessments and on the range of ATSDR programs is described. Specifically, the role of biomarkers in dose reconstruction, in ATSDR's health studies program, and in the emerging field of molecular epidemiology is reviewed. In addition, future directions and research needs are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Derosa
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ademoyero
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cibulas
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Duerksen-Hughes
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mumtaz
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Neft
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Pohl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014492:United States Public Health Service
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers