Table 2 Prominent features and typical uses of the proposed subclasses of dietary and health biomarkers (none of these classes are exclusive in terms of the compounds measured)
From: A scheme for a flexible classification of dietary and health biomarkers
Proposed classes | Proposed subclasses | Prominent features | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
Exposure (intake) biomarkers | 1) Food compound intake biomarkers (FCIBs), divided into nutrient intake biomarkers (NIBs) and non-nutrient intake biomarkers (NoNIBs)a | - Specificity to chemically well-defined food compounds, e.g. nutrients or food-derived non-nutrients, such as bioactive compounds, including xenobiotics - Distinctive dose- and time-dependent responses after intake - May reflect acute or long-term intakes | Specific intake biomarkers for food compounds Intake biomarkers Exposure biomarkers |
| Â | 2) Food or food component intake biomarkers (FIBs)a | - Specificity to particular foods, food components, or food groups - Distinct dose- and time-dependent responses after intake - A single metabolite or a combination of metabolites | Compliance biomarkers Markers of exposure to food components Biomarkers of dietary exposure Food intake biomarkers |
|  | 3) Dietary pattern biomarkers (DPBs)a | - A set of FCIBs and FIBs - Representation of ‘signal’ foods and nutrients in diets | Nutritype biomarkers Compliance biomarkers Markers of exposure to a dietary pattern |
Effect biomarkers | 4) Effect biomarkers, divided into functional response biomarkers and risk-effect biomarkers | - Indicators of response to a certain diet or dietary exposure - May include shorter-term or longer-term effects | Outcome biomarkers Efficacy biomarkers Impact biomarkers Functional response biomarkers Markers of target function/biological response |
Susceptibility biomarkers | 5) Food compound status biomarkers (FCSBs), divided into nutrient status biomarkers (NSBs) and non-nutrient status biomarkers (NoNSBs) | - Reflection of status for food compounds (nutrients and non-nutrients) - Nutrient status biomarkers are most often reflecting retained nutrients - Non-nutrient status biomarkers reflect cumulative intake of other food compounds, typically with long excretion half-lives - Accumulating xenobiotics may reflect potential toxicity - Indicators of susceptibility to nutrient or xenobiotic stress | Chronic exposure markers Biomarkers of nutritional status or susceptibility Biomarkers of non-nutrient status or susceptibility Biomarkers of body burden of toxicants |
| Â | 6) Physiological or health state biomarkers, divided into host factor biomarkers and risk biomarkers | - Susceptibility markers - Assessment of host factors and disease risk - Host factors may be seen as individual variability - Health status biomarkers reflect current risk of disease or susceptibility to develop disease. Risks may be inborn or acquired - Potential or known indicators of susceptibility | Disease risk biomarkers Health state biomarkers Risk biomarkers Host factors Individual variability biomarkers Biomarkers of phenotypic trait Biomarkers of health/disease |