ABSTRACT
Exposure to the metal beryllium produces chronic beryllium disease, or berylliosis, a lung disease that is clinically identical to sarcoidosis. The disease is caused by sensitization resulting in a cell-mediated immune response, with chronic granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis. Although relatively few individuals receive exposures to beryllium that cause lung disease, it is an important model for genetics, immune responses, and pathogenetic processes in lung diseases where the causative agent is not known.
