Genética, biologia molecular e ética: as relações trabalho e saúde*

Genetics, molecular biology and ethics: work and health connections
Abstract This paper provides a discussion about the increasing development of genetics and molecular biomarkers technologies and consequent impact on practices of occupation- al health. Genetic analysis could be in specific populations at occupational, pharmacological or environmental exposures. Current knowl- edge of human genome open up the possibility of individual genetic screening of disease sus- ceptibility among those exposed in workplaces to chemical or physical hazards, or for late on- set hereditary disease. Epidemiological stud- ies including genetic and molecular biology ap- proaches have been designed to evaluate the interaction of genetically determined meta- bolic variants with different environmental ex- posures on the risk of diseases. The strategy for worker’s health promotion must be maintained on the surveillance of hazardous exposure risks in occupational settings and not in worker’s genetic screening. Ethical behavior in occupa- tional health can vary from country to coun- try and even between occupational health prac- titioners and researchers. To discuss the need for a social responsibility context in the use of genetic information in which ethical actions in occupational health could be conducted is the main purpose of this paper.
Key words Molecular genetics, Workers health, Ethics, Genetic screening, Genetic epi- demiology
Resumo O artigo discute o impacto dos avan- ços da genética e da biologia molecular sobre a prática em saúde ocupacional. O conheci- mento atual sobre o genoma humano permi- te, em certas circunstâncias, identificar fato- res individuais de suscetibilidade a doenças em situações de exposição a substâncias químicas ou físicas, ou ainda, a doenças genéticas de ma- nifestação tardia. Estudos epidemiológicos in- corporando elementos da genética e da biologia molecular têm sido desenhados para avaliar a interação de variantes metabólicas e exposi- ções