Chest ACCP Education Calendar
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Deodhur, S. D.
Right arrow Articles by Van Ordstrand, H. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Deodhur, S. D.
Right arrow Articles by Van Ordstrand, H. S.
(Chest. 1973;63:309-313.)
© 1973 American College of Chest Physicians

A Study of the Immunologic Aspects of Chronic Berylliosis

Sharad D. Deodhur M.D.1; Barbara Barna B.S.1; and Howard S. Van Ordstrand M.D., F.C.C.P.1

1 Departments of Immunopathology and Pulmonary Disease, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland

The pathogenesis of lung disease in chronic berylliosis is pooriy understood; however, immunologic mechanisms have been suggested to play an important role in this disease. The previous immunologic evidence has been largely indirect, from studies on skin tests with beryllium salts. We have investigated the role of cellular immune mechanisms in this disease by studying the blast transformation of lymphocytes of these patients (35) in the presence of beryllium sulfate (BeSO4) in tissue culture. The control groups included beryllium industry workers without disease (30), normal, healthy subjects (22) and patients with other lung diseases (12). The degree of blast transformation was graded (1+ to 4+) on the basis of morphologic counting of blast cells and, in some cases, also, by the uptake of tritiated thymidine. Circulating serum immunoglobulin levels were also measured. Of the 35 patients with chronic berylliosis, 18 demonstrated a Mast transformation of 4+, three showed 3+, four showed 1+ and 10 were negative. There was also a good correlation between the severity of the clinical disease and the degree of blast transformation. The incidence of positive results in the control groups was extremely low. The serum IgA level was significantly elevated in 17 patients with berylliosis. At the time of testing, all patients with berylliosis were being treated with varying doses of prednisone, and since steroids usually inhibit the blast transformation response, our finding of a positive reaction in 71 percent of the patients (25 out of 35) lends strong evidence for the role of cellular immune mechanisms in this disease.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CVIHome page
B. P. Barna, D. A. Culver, B. Yen-Lieberman, R. A. Dweik, and M. J. Thomassen
Clinical Application of Beryllium Lymphocyte Proliferation Testing
Clin. Vaccine Immunol., November 1, 2003; 10(6): 990 - 994.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Infect. Immun.Home page
J. Y. Lee, O. Atochina, B. King, L. Taylor, M. Elloso, P. Scott, and M. D. Rossman
Beryllium, an Adjuvant That Promotes Gamma Interferon Production
Infect. Immun., July 1, 2000; 68(7): 4032 - 4039.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1973 by the American College of Chest Physicians.