Chronic beryllium disease is predominantly a pulmonary granulomatosis that was originally described in 1946. Symptoms usually include dyspnea and cough. Fever, anorexia, and weight loss are common. Skin lesions are the most common extrathoracic manifestation. Granulomatous hepatitis, hypercalcemia, and kidney stones can also occur. Radiographic and physiologic abnormalities are similar to those...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are mediators of chronic tissue damage and fibrosis. Endogenous antioxidants may increase in response to oxidants and reduce tissue injury. We investigated the antioxidant response of the lungs to the chronic release of ROS, as occurs in the immune-specific granulomatous inflammation of chronic beryllium disease (CBD), and compared it with that in healthy controls ...

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) provides a human disorder in which to study the delayed type IV hypersensitivity response to persistent Ag that leads to noncaseating pulmonary granuloma formation. We hypothesized that, in CBD, failure of IL-10 to modulate the beryllium-specific, cell-mediated immune response would result in persistent, maximal cytokine production and T lymphocyte proliferation,...

Beryllium induces non-caseating granulomatous inflammation in humans exposed to the metal dust or fumes in both occupational and non-occupational settings. The resulting condition, chronic beryllium disease (CBD), affects principally the lungs, lymphatics, and skin and continues to plague modern industry. Beryllium exerts several important immunotoxic effects, including induction of a beryllium...

A method using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been developed for quantifying attomoles of beryllium (Be) in biological samples. This method provides the sensitivity to trace Be in biological samples at very low doses with the purpose of identifying the molecular targets involved in chronic beryllium disease. Proof of the method was tested by administering 0.001, 0.05, 0.5, and 5.0 micr...

OBJECTIVES Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) shares many of its characteristics with sarcoidosis and is often treated with corticosteroids. There is limited available literature regarding the effect of long-term corticosteroid therapy on the natural history of CBD. METHODS AND MATERIALS We conducted an observational retrospective study of six patients with CBD who received prolonged corticoster...

This report considers the historical origin of the current beryllium occupational exposure limit (OEL) and the evidence that led most authorities to conclude that it was adequately protective against clinically evident chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Nearly 40 years later, during the late 1980s, it was shown that in addition to CBD, beryllium can cause asymptomatic sensitization and asymptomat...

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is characterized by a CD4+ T cell alveolitis and granulomatous inflammation in the lung. Genetic susceptibility to this disease has been linked with HLA-DP alleles, particularly those possessing a glutamic acid at position 69 (Glu69) of the beta-chain. However, 15% of CBD patients do not possess a Glu69-containing HLA-DP allele, suggesting that other MHC class II...

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous disorder characterized by an influx of beryllium (Be)-specific CD4⁺ T cells into the lung. The vast majority of these T cells recognize Be in an HLA-DP–restricted manner, and peptide is required for T cell recognition. However, the peptides that stimulate Be-specific T cells are unknown. Using positional scanning libraries and fibroblasts expre...

Genetic differences (polymorphisms) among members of a population are thought to influence susceptibility to various environmental exposures. In practice, however, this information is rarely incorporated into quantitative risk assessment and risk management. We describe an analytic framework for predicting the risk reduction and value-of-information (VOI) resulting from specific risk management...