Utility of the department of defense serum repository in assessing deployment exposure

Objective: This paper describes why the research project was conducted in terms of demonstrating the utility of the Department of Defense Serum Repository in addressing deployment environmental exposures. Methods: The history deployment exposure surveillance was reviewed and the rationale for developing validated biomarkers that were detected in sera in postdeployment samples and compared with nondeployed controls was described. The goal was to find validated biomarkers that are associated with both exposures and health outcomes. Results: The articles in this supplement described novel serum biomarkers that were found to be associated with deployment exposures and weakly associated with some health outcomes. Conclusions: Future research must continue to validate the use of serum biomarkers when operational contingencies prevent the gold standard collection of real-time breathing zone samples in deployed service members.