title: Genetic susceptibility and immune-mediated destruction in beryllium-induced disease.
abstract: Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a hypersensitivity disorder caused by beryllium exposure in the workplace and is characterized by the accumulation of beryllium-specific CD4(+) T cells in the lung and granulomatous inflammation. This disorder occurs in 2-16% of exposed workers, depending on genetic susceptibility and the nature of the exposure. Susceptibility has been associated with HLA-DP alleles possessing a glutamic acid at the 69th position (Glu(69)) of the beta-chain. The mechanism for this association lies in the ability of these HLA-DP molecules to present beryllium to pathogenic CD4(+) T cells. These findings in CBD have important implications for studies in autoimmune diseases, including those in which the inciting antigen is unknown and the target organ is inaccessible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. andrew.fontenot@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Fontenot
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D001607:Berylliosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D001608:Beryllium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D001608:Beryllium