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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Genetic determinants of sensitivity to beryllium in mice.

Authors: Tarantino-Hutchison, Lauren M; Sorrentino, Claudio; Nadas, Arthur; Zhu, Yiwen; Rubin, Edward M; Tinkle, Sally S; Weston, Ainsley; Gordon, Terry

Published In J Immunotoxicol, (2009 Jun)

Abstract: Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), an irreversible, debilitating granulomatous lung disease is caused by exposure to beryllium. This occupational hazard occurs in primary production and machining of Be-metal, BeO, beryllium - containing alloys, and other beryllium products. CBD begins as an MHC Class II-restricted, T(H)1 hypersensitivity, and the Human Leukocyte Antigen, HLA-DPB1E(69), is associated with risk of developing CBD. Because inbred strains of mice have not provided good models of CBD to date, three strains of HLA-DPB1 transgenic mice in an FVB/N background were developed; each contains a single allele of HLA-DPB1 that confers a different magnitude of risk for chronic beryllium disease: HLA-DPB1*0401 (OR approximately 0.2), HLA-DPB1*0201 (OR approximately 3), and HLA-DPB1*1701 (OR approximately 46). The mouse ear swelling test (MEST) was employed to determine if these different alleles would support a hypersensitivity response to beryllium. Mice were first sensitized on the back and subsequently challenged on the ear. In separate experiments, mice were placed into one of three groups (sensitization/challenge): C/C, C/Be, and Be/Be. In the HLA-DPB1*1701 mice, the strain with the highest risk transgene, the Be/Be group was the only group that displayed significant maximum increased ear thickness of 19.6% +/- 3.0% over the baseline measurement (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the other transgenic strains for any treatment condition. In addition, inter-strain differences in response to beryllium in seven inbred strains were investigated through use of the MEST, these included: FVB/N, AKR, Balb/c, C3H/HeJ, C57/BL6, DBA/2, and SJL/J. The FVB/N strain was least responsive, while the SJL/J and C57/BL6 strains were the highest responders. Our results suggest that the HLA-DPB1*1701 transgene product is an important risk factor for induction of the beryllium-sensitive phenotype. This model should be a useful tool for investigating beryllium sensitization.

PubMed ID: 19589099 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Alleles; Animals; Berylliosis/genetics*; Berylliosis/immunology*; Beryllium/adverse effects; Disease Models, Animal*; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; HLA-DP Antigens/genetics*; HLA-DP Antigens/metabolism; HLA-DP beta-Chains; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Delayed/chemically induced; Hypersensitivity, Delayed/genetics*; Hypersensitivity, Delayed/immunology*; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Mice, Transgenic; Polymorphism, Genetic; Risk Factors; Skin Tests; Species Specificity; Th1 Cells/immunology

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