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The ability to develop evidence-based clinical guidance and effective programs and policies to achieve global health promotion and disease prevention goals depends on the availability of valid and reliable data. With specific regard to the role of food and nutrition in achieving those goals, relevant data are developed with the use of biomarkers that reflect nutrient exposure, status, and functional effect. A need exists to promote the discovery, development, and use of biomarkers across a range of applications. In addition, a process is needed to harmonize the global health community's decision making about what biomarkers are best suited for a given use under specific conditions and settings. To address these needs, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, organized a conference entitled "Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Building a Consensus," which was hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Partners included key multilateral, US agencies and public and private organizations. The assembly endorsed the utility of this initiative and the need for the BOND (Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development) project to continue. A consensus was reached on the requirement to develop a process to inform the community about the relative strengths or weaknesses and specific applications of various biomarkers under defined conditions. The articles in this supplement summarize the deliberations of the 4 working groups: research, clinical, policy, and programmatic. Also described are content presentations on the harmonization processes, the evidence base for biomarkers for 5 case-study micronutrients, and new frontiers in science and technology.

Recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) reviews of the process for deriving Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) suggest that determining the need for a new nutrient review should be evaluated against criteria set a priori. After selecting the criterion of significant new and relevant research, a working group of US and Canadian government scientists used results from a systematic review and 2 conferences on vitamin D and health to evaluate whether significant new and relevant scientific evidence had become available since the 1997 IOM publication of the DRIs for vitamin D. This working group concluded that there appears to be new research meeting the criteria for 4 key DRI questions. The new research is of larger quantity and quality for the elderly than for other groups, but overall 1) adds to the bone-related and status evidence available to the 1997 DRI Committee for several of the life-stage groups, 2) identifies new outcomes with respect to risk of falls and performance measures in the elderly and potential adverse effects, and 3) provides additional information on dose-response relations between intakes and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and several health outcomes (ie, bone-related outcomes for all ages and risk of falls and performance measures in older adults). Members of the working group concluded that significant new and relevant research was available for reviewing the existing DRIs for vitamin D while leaving the decision of whether the new research will result in changes to the current DRIs to a future IOM-convened DRI committee.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate Cd effects on the bone of rats in relation to lower Ca in the diet in nonpregnant vs. lactating dams, and in suckling and adolescent animals. The results show that lactating rat dams present a group with an increased sensitivity to Cd-induced bone mass loss, as was observed earlier in nursing mice (Bhattacharyya, 1991). In addition, adolescent females present a group with increased sensitivity to Cd-induced reduction of bone mass formation, especially under the condition of a low Ca intake.

We observed the acid phosphatase activity in the liver of carp treated during 80 days with constant concentrations of the 0,3 mg/L PB (Pb(NO3)2, 0,1 mg/L Mg (MgCl2) and 0,1 mg/L Se (NaSeO3). Histochemical analysis indicated changes in the number and size of the lysosomal population, which were characteristic for each of the three investigated elements. Lead caused formation of the large number of small, peribiliary located lysosomes. At the magnesium treatment lysosomes were heterogeneous, and beside the small ones there were large. The gratest changes were found at the selenium treatment. Lysosomes were large, very numerous and distribted all over the cells. Increase of the acid phosphatase activity and lysosomal ahanges are the most expressive during first two week of the treatment. After 60 days, diffuse acid phosphatase activity was observed, what indicated damage in the liver tissue were present. After 80 days, necrotic changes in the liver tissue were present. Except on lysosomal population, investigated elements caused changes in the blood sinusoide walls. Investigation of the alkaline phosphatase showed intensified activity in the perilobular sinusoide walls, indicating changes of the transmembranal transport.