Abstract

ARANGO V, Sandra S. Biomarkers for the evaluation of human health risks. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.1, pp.75-82. ISSN 0120-386X.

In the field of human health, the development, validation, and use of biomarkers as information tools to assess risk factors associated with exposure to environmental agents increases daily. This is a result of the need to understand the adverse effects of the various work environments and lifestyles. A biomarker is an event that takes place in a biological system and is understood as an indicator of health status, life expectancy, or disease risk. Biomarkers usually fall within the following categories: exposure, effect, and susceptibility biomarkers. This review will discuss their importance in understanding different aspects of diseases such as diagnosis, treatment, prevention, disease progression, response to therapy, and their application in toxicological experimental evaluation for the development of drugs or pesticides. Furthermore, their contribution to the development of different fields of study such as toxicology, occupational health, and carcinogenesis shall also be discussed.

Keywords : Biomarkers; occupational health; toxicology; carcinogenesis.

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