BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - It is not ethically acceptable for employers to use genetic screening, or to disclose the results of genetic tests, according to the European Union's advisory group on ethics in science and new technologies, in its reflections on the ethical aspects of genetic testing in the work place. The group's formal opinion is due to be published in full at the end of September.

Employers, in general, should not perform genetic screening nor ask employees to undergo tests, states the opinion from the group, which had been asked by the European Union to come up with guidance in the light of developments in biotechnology.

The group has reached a negative view of the state of evolution of testing mechanisms. There is "no proven evidence that the existing genetic tests have relevance and reliability in the context of employment. They still have uncertain predictive value," the opinion said.

Even for monogenic diseases, the predictive value of genetic testing may be limited, since the disease in question might not manifest itself during the working life of the individual, and it is not always possible to predict severity. The situation is even more complex in the case of diseases with a polygenic basis, the group said. "It is virtually impossible accurately to predict, using genetic tests, either whether the disease will develop at all or, if it does, its timing and severity. Even if the genetic basis of such diseases becomes fully understood, environmental and lifestyle factors, which may themselves be unpredictable, will limit the predictability of disease development."

Genetic testing should be considered "only in exceptional cases, when it may be necessary to guarantee health protection of workers or protection of third parties," it said But there must be scientific evidence that the test is valid and is the only method to obtain the information.

And in circumstances where there is a possible risk of genetic damage to an employee resulting from some component of the working environment, "the employer must take every possible step to eliminate that risk. If such a risk cannot be totally excluded, genetic monitoring, which aims at evaluating chromosomal abnormalities induced by exposure to agents in the context of employment, may be valuable, but requires properly informed consent," it said.

Where tests are used, the applicant or the employee should receive full information from an independent health professional on the testing procedure, the reasons for performing such tests, the potential outcomes and their implications and consequences, as well as the conditions of storing and access to data. They should also, if requested, be provided with access to independent legal counseling.

Even where a test reveals a genetic condition "incompatible with the protection of the health of the employee or the applicant or with the safety of third parties," the information given to the employers should concern only the inappropriateness of the applicant for the specific job, without specification of the cause.