Beryllium (Be) presentation to CD4 T cells from patients with chronic beryllium disease (CBD) results in T cell activation, and these Be-specific CD4 T cells undergo clonal proliferation and Th1-type cytokine production. In exposed workers, genetic susceptibility to this granulomatous disorder is associated with particular HLA-DPB1 alleles. We hypothesized that these HLA-DP molecules could medi...
