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Arch Pathol Lab Med 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

From the Department of Pathology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York.

Context.—: Because granulomas are represented in almost every disease category, the number of clinically and pathologically important granulomatous pulmonary diseases is large. Their diagnosis by pathologists is particularly challenging because of their nonspecificity. Read More

Respir Res 2021 Apr 16;22(1):107. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Killianstrasse 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.

Sarcoidosis and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) are phenocopies, however the latter one has a clear trigger factor that is beryllium exposure. This study analyses single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a large cohort for beryllium-exposed persons. SNPs were chosen for their relevance in sarcoidosis. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2020 Nov 22;56(11). Epub 2020 Nov 22.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a granulomatous disease that resembles sarcoidosis but is caused by beryllium. Clinical manifestations similar to those observed in CBD have occasionally been reported in exposure to dusts of other metals. However, reports describing the clinical, radiographic, and pathological findings in conditions other than beryllium-induced granulomatous lung diseases, and detailed information on mineralogical analyses of metal dusts, are limited. Read More

Cent Eur J Public Health 2020 Sep;28(3):198-201

Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Beryllium has an impact on the human health of professionally or non-occupationally exposed people. Current evidence suggests that beryllium acts as a hapten with limited antigenic properties and is presented by antigen presenting cells to CD4 T cells, which possess specific antigen receptors. The immunological changes in humoral immunoreactivity were considered biomarkers of beryllium exposure. Read More

Chest 2021 Mar 12;159(3):1084-1093. Epub 2020 Sep 12.

Department of Pneumology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address:

Background: Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a granulomatous disease with similarities to sarcoidosis, arises only in individuals exposed to beryllium. Inhaled beryllium can elicit a T-cell-dominated alveolitis leading nonnecrotizing granulomata. CBD can be distinguished from sarcoidosis by demonstrating beryllium sensitization in a lymphocyte proliferation test. Read More

Occup Environ Med 2020 11 28;77(11):790-794. Epub 2020 Aug 28.

Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA

Objectives: Work-related lung diseases (WRLDs) are entirely preventable. To assess the impact of WRLDs on the US transplant system, we identified adult lung transplant recipients with a WRLD diagnosis specified at the time of transplant to describe demographic, payer and clinical characteristics of these patients and to assess post-transplant survival.

Methods: Using US registry data from 1991 to 2018, we identified lung transplant recipients with WRLDs including coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, asbestosis, metal pneumoconiosis and berylliosis. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 10;202(7):1013-1023

Department of Biomedical Research.

A subpopulation of B cells (age-associated B cells [ABCs]) is increased in mice and humans with infections or autoimmune diseases. Because depletion of these cells might be valuable in patients with certain lung diseases, the goal was to find out if ABC-like cells were at elevated levels in such patients. To measure ABC-like cell percentages in patients with lung granulomatous diseases. Read More

Rev Mal Respir 2020 May 9;37(5):364-368. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Service de pneumologie, centre de compétences des maladies pulmonaires rares de la région Centre, hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France; CEPR InsermU1100, Université Francois-Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France. Electronic address:

Introduction: The epidemiology of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) in France is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the number of prevalent cases of CBD in France between 2010 and 2014.

Methods: We conducted a national survey using a specific questionnaire distributed by the professional pathology services. Read More

Front Immunol 2020 18;11:474. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) are inflammatory granulomatous lung diseases defined by the presence of non-caseating granulomas in the lung. CBD results from beryllium exposure in the workplace, while the cause of sarcoidosis remains unknown. CBD and sarcoidosis are both immune-mediated diseases that involve Th1-polarized inflammation in the lung. Read More

Arch Bronconeumol 2020 07 31;56(7):470-471. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Servicio de Inmunología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, España.

J Occup Environ Med 2020 01;62(1):64-73

Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia (Dr Widyaningsih); Department of Medicine (Dr Rosenman, Ms Reilly, Dr Wang); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Dr Pathak, Dr Gardiner), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati (Dr Rice); Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Dr Monos); Department of Medicine (Dr Rossman), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Objective: To evaluate interaction of HLA-DPβ1 and DRβ1 polymorphisms with metrics of beryllium exposure, in the development of beryllium sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD).

Methods: A matched case-control study of 61 CBD, 41 BeS, and 259 controls from two beryllium-processing facilities.

Results: BES and CBD were significantly associated with presence of DPβE69. Read More

Chemistry 2019 Dec 8;25(71):16170. Epub 2019 Nov 8.

Anorganische Chemie, Nachwuchsgruppe Berylliumchemie, Fachbereich Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032, Marburg, Germany.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Magnus R. Buchner at Philipps-Universität Marburg. The image depicts a piece of beryllium decomposing sugar cubes. Read More

Ann Work Expo Health 2019 10;63(8):856-869

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Respiratory Health Division, Morgantown, WV, USA.

Objectives: Peak beryllium inhalation exposures and exposure to the skin may be relevant for developing beryllium sensitization (BeS). The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with BeS to inform the prevention of sensitization, and the development of chronic beryllium disease (CBD).

Methods: In a survey of short-term workers employed at a primary beryllium manufacturing facility between the years 1994-1999, 264 participants completed a questionnaire and were tested for BeS. Read More

Chemistry 2019 Dec 8;25(71):16257-16269. Epub 2019 Nov 8.

Anorganische Chemie, Nachwuchsgruppe Berylliumchemie, Fachbereich Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032, Marburg, Germany.

The interplay of metal ions with polysaccharides is important for the immune recognition in the lung. Due to the localization of beryllium associated diseases to the lung, it is likely that beryllium carbohydrate complexes play a vital role for the development of berylliosis. Herein, we present a detailed study on the interaction of Be ions with fructose and glucose as well as simpler biomimetic ligands, which emulate binding motives of saccharides. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2018 9;31:95. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Medical Intensive Care Unit, Abderrahmen Mami Hospital, Ariana 2080, Tunisia.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is an occupational illness with varying severity. In this report, we describe a 27 year old man, glassblower, who developed a fatal CBD after six months of unknown Beryllium's exposure. The diagnosis was suspected on histological examination and then consolidated by confirmation of Beryllium's exposure at the working area. Read More

J Phys Chem B 2019 02 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

Genes Immun 2019 07 24;20(6):493-499. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

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

Previously we showed that alveolar macrophages (AMs) from patients with chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and beryllium sensitization (BeS) demonstrated significantly greater cell surface CD16 (encoded by the FCGR3A gene) than controls. We hypothesized that these differences were related to polymorphisms in the FCGR3A gene. This study was to determine the association between FCGR3A polymorphisms in CBD, BeS versus controls as well as clinical data, providing potential information about disease pathogenesis, risk, and activity. Read More

J Immunol 2018 10 5;201(8):2232-2243. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

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

Metal-induced hypersensitivity is driven by dendritic cells (DCs) that migrate from the site of exposure to the lymph nodes, upregulate costimulatory molecules, and initiate metal-specific CD4 T cell responses. Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a life-threatening metal-induced hypersensitivity, is driven by beryllium-specific CD4 Th1 cells that expand in the lung-draining lymph nodes (LDLNs) after beryllium exposure (sensitization phase) and are recruited back to the lung, where they orchestrate granulomatous lung disease (elicitation phase). To understand more about how beryllium exposures impact DC function during sensitization, we examined the early events in the lung and LDLNs after pulmonary exposure to different physiochemical forms of beryllium. Read More

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2019 01;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

Ann Am Thorac Soc 2018 04;15(Suppl 2):S81-S85

Department of Medicine and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.

Metal-induced hypersensitivity is driven by T-cell sensitization to metal ions. Although numerous metals are associated with the development of diffuse parenchymal lung disease, beryllium-induced hypersensitivity is the best-studied to date. This review focuses on the interaction between innate and adaptive immunity that leads to the development of chronic beryllium disease. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2018 07 24;61(7):592-604. Epub 2018 Mar 24.

Center for Health, Work, and Environment, and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.

Background: The beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT), has become the principal clinical test for detecting beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease. Uninterpretable BeLPT results can occur in a small but significant proportion of tests from poor lymphocyte growth (PG) or over proliferation of lymphocytes (OP). The clinical and laboratory causes of uninterpretable results are not known. 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