The Use of Biochemical and Molecular Parameters to Estimate Dose-Response Relationships at Low Levels of Exposure

摘要

Biomarkers based on alterations in molecular and biochemical parameters may be useful in chemical risk assessment for establishing the presence of an exposure, ranking relative risks among exposed individuals, and estimating risks at low levels of exposure. Because it is unlikely that the relation between toxic responses and the degree of alteration in the biomarker is equivalent at all doses, quantification of risks at low levels is not necessarily more accurate using these biomarkers for extrapolation. The application of response biomarkers for risk evaluation low levels of exposure is discussed in relation to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a compound that causes induction of cytochromes CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in liver and other tissues.