Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Phys Chem B 2019 Feb 8;123(7):1554-1565. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States.

Beryllium has multiple industrial applications but exposure to its dust during manufacturing is associated with developing chronic inflammation in lungs known as berylliosis. Besides binding to specific alleles of MHC-II, Be was recently found to compete with Ca for binding sites on phosphatidylserine-containing membranes and inhibit recognition of this lipid by phagocytes. Computational studies of possible molecular targets for this small toxic dication are impeded by the absence of a reliable force field. Read More

Clin Nucl Med 2019 Jan;44(1):64-65

From the Departments of Nuclear Medicine, and.

Three years after prostatectomy, a 78-year-old man with initial high-risk prostate cancer and new increasing prostate-specific antigen levels underwent Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT. Imaging revealed PSMA-positive pelvic, ascending retroperitoneal and left supraclavicular lymph nodes consistent with metastases. Additionally, there was PSMA-positive lymphadenopathy (hilar and mediastinal) and pulmonary changes (fibrotic and nodular) in which histopathology excluded metastases. Read More

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2019 Jan;60(1):96-105

1 Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.

Epigenetic marks are likely to explain variability of response to antigen in granulomatous lung disease. The objective of this study was to identify DNA methylation and gene expression changes associated with chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and sarcoidosis in lung cells obtained by BAL. BAL cells from CBD (n = 8), beryllium-sensitized (n = 8), sarcoidosis (n = 8), and additional progressive sarcoidosis (n = 9) and remitting (n = 15) sarcoidosis were profiled on the Illumina 450k methylation and Affymetrix/Agilent gene expression microarrays. Read More

Respir Med 2018 May 5;138S:S14-S19. Epub 2018 Feb 5.

National Jewish Health, Department of Medicine, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, United States; Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Pl., Aurora, CO 80045, United States; Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Pl., Aurora, CO 80045, United States. Electronic address:

Background: The clinical effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on chronic beryllium disease (CBD) are unknown. Although frequently used for symptoms or disease not requiring systemic therapy, the clinical course of patients on ICS has not been evaluated.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, forty-eight subjects with CBD, diagnosed by granulomas on lung biopsy and treated with inhaled corticosteroids, were matched to sixty-eight subjects with CBD who were not treated. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Jan 26;2018. Epub 2018 Jan 26.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Munster, Ireland.

Hypercalcaemia occurs in many granulomatous diseases. Among them, sarcoidosis and tuberculosis are the most common causes. Other causes include berylliosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, Crohn's disease, silicone-induced granulomas, cat-scratch disease, Wegener's granulomatosis and pneumonia. Read More

Lung 2018 02 27;196(1):103-114. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO, USA.

Introduction: Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is characterized by accumulation of macrophages and beryllium-specific CD4 T cells that proliferate and produce Th1 cytokines. 5-Amino salicylic acid (5-ASA) is currently used to treat inflammatory bowel disease and has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. We hypothesized that 5-ASA may be a beneficial therapeutic in CBD. Read More

Biochemistry 2017 10 20;56(40):5457-5470. Epub 2017 Sep 20.

Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.

Beryllium has multiple industrial applications, but its manufacture is associated with a serious occupational risk of developing chronic inflammation in the lungs known as berylliosis, or chronic beryllium disease. Although the Be-induced abnormal immune responses have recently been linked to a specific MHC-II allele, the nature of long-lasting granulomas is not fully understood. Here we show that Be binds with a micromolar affinity to phosphatidylserine (PS), the major surface marker of apoptotic cells. Read More

Ultrastruct Pathol 2017 Sep-Oct;41(5):309-311. Epub 2017 Aug 14.

a Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and of Public Health , University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Modena , MO , Italy.

The nanopathological diagnostics (ND) is an ultra-specialized branch of pathological anatomy aimed to identify the nanoparticles of metallic, semimetallic, or nonmetallic elements in the inorganic particulate matter present inside pathological tissues, even on the nanometer scale. ND exploits an environmental scanning electron microscope, connected to an X-ray microprobe mounted on an energy-dispersive spectrometer. The searching of nanoparticles can be performed on paraffin-embedded material, omitting emissions of black overlay and plating procedures. Read More

Eur Respir Rev 2017 Sep 9;26(145). Epub 2017 Aug 9.

Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease Unit, Ruhrlandklinik, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

Granulomatous lung diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders that have a wide spectrum of pathologies with variable clinical manifestations and outcomes. Precise clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, pulmonary function testing, radiological imaging including high-resolution computed tomography and often histopathological assessment contribute to make a confident diagnosis of granulomatous lung diseases. Differential diagnosis is challenging, and includes both infectious (mycobacteria and fungi) and noninfectious lung diseases (sarcoidosis, necrotising sarcoid granulomatosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, hot tub lung, berylliosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, rheumatoid nodules, talc granulomatosis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and bronchocentric granulomatosis). Read More

Fed Regist 2017 01;82(5):2470-757

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is amending its existing standards for occupational exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds. OSHA has determined that employees exposed to beryllium at the previous permissible exposure limits face a significant risk of material impairment to their health. The evidence in the record for this rulemaking indicates that workers exposed to beryllium are at increased risk of developing chronic beryllium disease and lung cancer. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2016 11;58(11):e355-e361

Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Cancer Med 2016 12 20;5(12):3596-3605. Epub 2016 Oct 20.

Exponent Inc., Oakland, California.

We aimed at investigating mortality among beryllium-exposed workers, according to solubility of beryllium and beryllium compounds. We conducted an historical cohort study of 16,115 workers employed during 1925-2008 in 15 facilities, including eight entailing exposure to insoluble beryllium and seven entailing exposure to soluble/mixed beryllium compounds, who were followed up for mortality until 2011. Data were analyzed using indirect standardization and Cox regression modeling. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2016 09;58(9):855-60

Respiratory Health Division (Drs Kreiss, Fechter-Leggett, Schuler [former affiliation], Weston), Health Effects Laboratory Division (Drs McCanlies, Weston [former affiliation]), and Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia (Dr Schuler).

Objective: Beryllium workers may better understand their genetic susceptibility to chronic beryllium disease (CBD) expressed as population-based prevalence, rather than odds ratios from case-control studies.

Methods: We calculated CBD prevalences from allele-specific DNA sequences of 853 workers for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-DPB1 genotypes and groups characterized by number of E69-containing alleles and by calculated surface electronegativity of HLA-DPB1.

Results: Of 18 groups of at least 10 workers with specific genotypes, CBD prevalence was highest, 72. Read More

Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2016 Sep 5;12(3):319-23. Epub 2016 Jul 5.

Medico-Legal and Pathological-Anatomical Department of Health Care Surveillance Authority, Letná 47, 040 01, Kosice, Slovak Republic.

In this paper we report the autopsy findings of a 57 year old woman who died unexpectedly at home. She had been complaining of shortness of breath, episodes of dry coughing, and nausea. Her past medical and social history was unremarkable. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016 08 1;55(36):10562-76. Epub 2016 Jul 1.

Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany.

This Minireview aims to give an introduction to beryllium chemistry for all less-experienced scientists in this field of research. Up to date information on the toxicity of beryllium and its compounds are reviewed and several basic and necessary guidelines for a safe and proper handling in modern chemical research laboratories are presented. Interesting phenomenological observations are described that are related directly to the uniqueness of this element, which are also put into historical context. Read More

Eur Respir J 2016 06;47(6):1625-8

Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA Dept of Pathobiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

Eur Respir J 2016 06 21;47(6):1797-808. Epub 2016 Apr 21.

Dept of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Sciences, Dept of Medicine, School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA Environmental Occupational Health Dept, School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.

A subset of beryllium-exposed workers develop beryllium sensitisation (BeS) which precedes chronic beryllium disease (CBD). We conducted an in-depth analysis of differentially expressed candidate genes in CBD.We performed Affymetrix GeneChip 1. Read More

Ind Health 2016 ;54(2):99-100

Pneumologie 2016 Mar 15;70(3):201-4. Epub 2016 Mar 15.

Klinik für Pneumologie, Department Medizin der Universität Freiburg.

A 73-year-old non-atopic patient had developed at the age of 29 shortness of breath on exertion, general malaise, enlarged axillary lymph nodes and nodular cutaneous eruptions. Based on the presence of bihilar lymphadenopathy, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made at that time without any histological investigations and without taking detailed case history. Administration of systemic steroids resulted in remission. Read More

Respir Med 2016 Mar 1;112:10-7. Epub 2016 Feb 1.

Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address:

Lymphadenopathy is a common radiological finding in many thoracic diseases and may be caused by a variety of infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic conditions. This review aims to describe the patterns of mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy found in benign diseases in immunocompetent patients. Computed tomography is the method of choice for the evaluation of lymphadenopathy, as it is able to demonstrate increased size of individual nodes, abnormalities of the interface between the mediastinum and lung, invasion of surrounding fat, coalescence of adjacent nodes, obliteration of the mediastinal fat, and hypo- and hyperdensity in lymph nodes. Read More

J Immunol 2016 Jan;196(1):22-7

Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045;

Chronic beryllium (Be) disease is a granulomatous lung disorder that results from Be exposure in a genetically susceptible host. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of Be-responsive CD4(+) T cells in the lung, and genetic susceptibility is primarily linked to HLA-DPB1 alleles possessing a glutamic acid at position 69 of the β-chain. Recent structural analysis of a Be-specific TCR interacting with a Be-loaded HLA-DP2-peptide complex revealed that Be is coordinated by amino acid residues derived from the HLA-DP2 β-chain and peptide and showed that the TCR does not directly interact with the Be(2+) cation. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2015 23;2015:853573. Epub 2015 Nov 23.

Department of Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.

Antioxidant compounds such as glutathione and its enzymes have become the focus of attention of medical sciences. Glutathione, a specific tripeptide, is involved in many intercellular processes. The glutathione concentration is determined by the number of GAG repeats in gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. Read More

J Immunotoxicol 2016 05 16;13(3):417-27. Epub 2015 Dec 16.

a Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine , School of Medicine , Aurora , CO , USA ;

Individuals exposed to beryllium (Be) may develop Be sensitization (BeS) and progress to chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Recent studies with other metal antigens suggest epigenetic mechanisms may be involved in inflammatory disease processes, including granulomatous lung disorders and that a number of metal cations alter gene methylation. The objective of this study was to determine if Be can exert an epigenetic effect on gene expression by altering methylation in the promoter region of specific genes known to be involved in Be antigen-mediated gene expression. Read More

Int J Hyg Environ Health 2016 Jan 17;219(1):40-7. Epub 2015 Aug 17.

Université de Lille: 1, place de Verdun, F-59 000 Lille, France; Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille 2, EA 4483: 1, place de Verdun, F-59 000 Lille, France; Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Lille: 2, avenue Oscar Lambret, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address:

Objective: Low beryllium exposure can induce pulmonary granulomatosis, so called berylliosis. For occupational health monitoring, it is more relevant to assess the internal dose of Be received by the lungs than urinary or atmospheric Be. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a matrix collected non-invasively that derives from the airway lining fluid. Read More

Mucosal Immunol 2016 Jan 1;9(1):218-28. Epub 2015 Jul 1.

Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous lung disorder that is associated with the accumulation of beryllium (Be)-specific CD4(+) T cells into the lung. Genetic susceptibility is linked to HLA-DPB1 alleles that possess a glutamic acid at position 69 (βGlu69), and HLA-DPB1*02:01 is the most prevalent βGlu69-containing allele. Using HLA-DP2 transgenic (Tg) mice, we developed a model of CBD that replicates the major features of the human disease. Read More

Mucosal Immunol 2015 Nov 11;8(6):1237-47. Epub 2015 Mar 11.

Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Beryllium exposure results in beryllium hypersensitivity in a subset of exposed individuals, leading to granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis in the lung. In addition to its antigenic properties, beryllium has potent adjuvant activity that contributes to sensitization via unknown pathways. Here we show that beryllium induces cellular death and release of interleukin (IL)-1α and DNA into the lung. Read More

PLoS One 2015 17;10(2):e0117276. Epub 2015 Feb 17.

Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, United States of America; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Sciences, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, United States of America; Environmental Occupational Health Department, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, United States of America.

CD14dimCD16+ and CD14brightCD16+ cells, which compose a minor population of monocytes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), have been implicated in several inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this phenotype was present as a subset of lung infiltrative alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the granulomatous lung disease, chronic beryllium disease (CBD). The monocytes subsets was determined from PBMC cells and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from CBD, beryllium sensitized Non-smoker (BeS-NS) and healthy subjects (HS) using flow cytometry. Read More

Pneumologie 2015 Feb 10;69(2):89-92. Epub 2015 Feb 10.

Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt I. Medizinische Klinik, Schwerpunkt Pneumologie.

Granulomatous lung diseases are frequently occurring pulmonary diseases.Important granulomatous lung diseases are sarcoidosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Furthermore, granulomas can be caused by foreign body reactions like berylliosis or silicosis as well as by other infections (e. Read More

Curr Opin Pulm Med 2015 Mar;21(2):178-84

aNational Jewish Health, Denver bColorado School of Public Health cSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Metals can cause disease of the upper and lower respiratory tract that mirror disease due to other causes, such as asthma, rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, acute pneumonitis, bronchogenic carcinoma, and interstitial lung disease. This article will describe some uncommon and unique lung diseases that can be induced by metals.

Recent Findings: Our understanding of old occupational lung diseases, such as chronic beryllium disease, continues to increase. Read More

Hum Immunol 2014 Dec 22;75(12):1155-62. Epub 2014 Oct 22.

Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Sciences, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Denver, CO, United States; Environmental Occupational Health Department, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, United States.

Dendritic cells (DC) play a role in the regulation of immune responses to haptens, which in turn impact DC maturation. Whether beryllium (Be) is able to induce DC maturation and if this occurs via the MAPK pathway is not known. Primary monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) models were generated from Be non-exposed healthy volunteers as a non-sensitized cell model, while PBMCs from BeS (Be sensitized) and CBD (chronic beryllium disease) were used as disease models. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2014 Nov;190(10):e34-59

Rationale: Beryllium continues to have a wide range of industrial applications. Exposure to beryllium can lead to sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD).

Objectives: The purpose of this statement is to increase awareness and knowledge about beryllium exposure, BeS, and CBD. Read More

PLoS One 2014 4;9(11):e111604. Epub 2014 Nov 4.

Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics, Physics Department, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America.

Chronic Beryllium (Be) Disease (CBD) is a granulomatous disorder that predominantly affects the lung. The CBD is caused by Be exposure of individuals carrying the HLA-DP2 protein of the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII). While the involvement of Be in the development of CBD is obvious and the binding site and the sequence of Be and peptide binding were recently experimentally revealed [1], the interplay between induced conformational changes and the changes of the peptide binding affinity in presence of Be were not investigated. Read More

Rev Prat 2014 Sep;64(7):946-8

Sarcoidosis is sometimes severe and, in this setting, some investigations like thoracic computed tomography and pulmonaruy function tests constitute an angular stone. In 25% of cases, the presentation is not typical and diagnosis may be difficult. Some lung granulomatosis may share a very similar presentation with sarcoidosis according to clinic, imaging, serum biology, broncho-alveolar lavage and pathology (berylliosis, immuno-deficiency and drug- induced lung granulomatosis). Read More

New Solut 2014 Nov;24(3):303-19

Independent Environmental Consultant, Northern New Mexico and Washington State.

Harriet Hardy, protégé of Alice Hamilton, spent 1948 in the Health Division of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. The contemporary campaign for federal legislation to compensate nuclear workers brought to the fore living retirees in whose cases of occupational illness Hardy had a role in diagnosis or case management. A third case is documented in archival records. Read More

Am J Public Health 2014 Nov 11;104(11):e165-9. Epub 2014 Sep 11.

Janice P. Watkins, Elizabeth D. Ellis, David J. Girardi, and Donna L. Cragle are with the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN. Bonnie S. Richter is with the US Department of Energy, Office of Health and Safety, Washington, DC.

Objectives: This study examined absence rates among US Department of Energy workers who had beryllium sensitization (BeS) or were diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease (CBD) compared with those of other workers.

Methods: We used the lymphocyte proliferation test to determine beryllium sensitivity. In addition, we applied multivariable logistic regression to compare absences from 2002 to 2011 between workers with BeS or CBD to those without, and survival analysis to compare time to first absence by beryllium sensitization status. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2014 Aug;56(8):861-6

From the Community, Environment, and Policy Division, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Objective: To optimize beryllium worker screening.

Methods: Beryllium-exposed persons are classified as beryllium-exposed, beryllium-sensitized (BeS), or chronic beryllium disease. Implications of defining BeS by two or more positive lymphocyte proliferation tests (LPTs) were investigated with a simple binomial model. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2014 Aug;56(8):857-60

From the Community, Environment, and Policy Division, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Objective: To incrementally improve the use of beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) results.

Methods: Beryllium BioBank data were analyzed for 532 subjects in three groups: beryllium-exposed, sensitized, or chronic beryllium disease. Predictor variables were LPT stimulation index (SI) at the date of the earliest available data and at the study entry date. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2014 Aug;56(8):852-6

From the Community, Environment, and Policy Division, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Objective: To assess the importance of occupational history for beryllium-exposed workers.

Methods: Beryllium BioBank data were analyzed for 532 subjects in the following three groups: beryllium-exposed, beryllium-sensitized, and chronic beryllium disease. Predictor variables were several questionnaire-derived exposure indices. Read More

Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2014 Jul 21;31(2):163-9. Epub 2014 Jul 21.

College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242; current address: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63110.

Exposure to Beryllium (Be) can cause sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) in some individuals.  Even relatively low exposures may be sufficient to generate an asymptomatic, or in some cases a symptomatic, immune response. Since the clinical presentation of CBD is similar to that of sarcoidosis, it is helpful to have information on exposure to beryllium in order to reduce misdiagnosis. Read More

Nat Rev Immunol 2014 Aug;14(8):518

Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2014 Jun 9;35(3):316-29. Epub 2014 Jul 9.

Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous lung disease that may be pathologically and clinically indistinguishable from pulmonary sarcoidosis, except through use of immunologic testing, such as the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT). Similar to sarcoidosis, the pulmonary manifestations of CBD are variable and overlap with other respiratory diseases. Definitive diagnosis of CBD is established by evidence of immune sensitization to beryllium and diagnostic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial biopsy. Read More

Cell 2014 Jul;158(1):132-42

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Program in Structural Biology and Biochemistry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Electronic address:

T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity to metal cations is common in humans. How the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) recognizes these cations bound to a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein and self-peptide is unknown. Individuals carrying the MHCII allele, HLA-DP2, are at risk for chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a debilitating inflammatory lung condition caused by the reaction of CD4 T cells to inhaled beryllium. Read More

J Immunotoxicol 2015 Apr-Jun;12(2):181-7. Epub 2014 Jun 16.

Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology .

Exposure to small amounts of beryllium (Be) can result in beryllium sensitization and progression to Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD). In CBD, beryllium is presented to Be-responsive T-cells by professional antigen-presenting cells (APC). This presentation drives T-cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-2, TNFα, and IFNγ) production and leads to granuloma formation. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014 Jun 27;111(23):8553-8. Epub 2014 May 27.

Departments of Medicine andImmunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045;

Susceptibility to chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is linked to certain HLA-DP molecules, including HLA-DP2. To elucidate the molecular basis of this association, we exposed mice transgenic (Tg) for HLA-DP2 to beryllium oxide (BeO) via oropharyngeal aspiration. As opposed to WT mice, BeO-exposed HLA-DP2 Tg mice developed mononuclear infiltrates in a peribronchovascular distribution that were composed of CD4(+) T cells and included regulatory T (Treg) cells. Read More

J Occup Environ Hyg 2014 ;11(12):809-18

a Institute of Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases , National Laboratory Service for ILD, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.

The purpose of this study was to describe a methodology for surveillance and monitoring of beryllium exposure using biological monitoring to complement environmental monitoring. Eighty-three Israeli dental technicians (mean age 41.6 ± 1. Read More

J Immunol 2014 May 9;192(10):4571-80. Epub 2014 Apr 9.

Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045;

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous lung disease characterized by the accumulation of beryllium (Be)-specific CD4(+) T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage. These expanded CD4(+) T cells are composed of oligoclonal T cell subsets, suggesting their recruitment to the lung in response to conventional Ag. In the current study, we noted that all bronchoalveolar lavage-derived T cell lines from HLA-DP2-expressing CBD patients contained an expansion of Be-responsive Vβ5. Read More

Eur J Cancer Prev 2014 Nov;23(6):587-93

aTisch Cancer Institute and Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York bExponent Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA.

This study investigated lung cancer and other diseases related to insoluble beryllium compounds. A cohort of 4950 workers from four US insoluble beryllium manufacturing facilities were followed through 2009. Expected deaths were calculated using local and national rates. Read More

Arch Environ Occup Health 2014 ;69(2):89-99

a Institute of Pulmonary Diseases, National Laboratory Service for ILD, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv , Israel.

Beryllium is commonly used in the dental industry. This study investigates the association between particle size and shape in induced sputum (IS) with beryllium exposure and oxidative stress in 83 dental technicians. Particle size and shape were defined by laser and video, whereas beryllium exposure data came from self-reports and beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) results. Read More