Exposure and genetics increase risk of beryllium sensitisation and chronic beryllium disease in the nuclear weapons industry
- National Jewish Health, Denver, CO (United States). Hollis Lab.
- Oak Ridge Associated Univ., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Univ. of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Colorado School of Public Health, Denver, CO (United States)
Beryllium sensitisation (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) are caused by exposure to beryllium with susceptibility affected by at least one well-studied genetic host factor, a glutamic acid residue at position 69 (E69) of the HLA-DPb chain (DPbE69). However, the nature of the relationship between exposure and carriage of the DPbE69 genotype has not been well studied. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between DP{beta}E69 and exposure in BeS and CBD. Current and former workers (n=181) from a US nuclear weapons production facility, the Y-12 National Security Complex (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA), were enrolled in a case-control study including 35 individuals with BeS and 19 with CBD. HLA-DPB1 genotypes were determined by PCR-SSP. Beryllium exposures were assessed through worker interviews and industrial hygiene assessment of work tasks. After removing the confounding effect of potential beryllium exposure at another facility, multivariate models showed a sixfold (OR 6.06, 95% CI 1.96 to 18.7) increased odds for BeS and CBD combined among DP{beta}E69 carriers and a fourfold (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.43 to 11.0) increased odds for those exposed over an assigned lifetime-weighted average exposure of 0.1 {micro}g/m{sup 3}. Those with both risk factors had higher increased odds (OR 24.1, 95% CI 4.77 to 122). DP{beta}E69 carriage and high exposure to beryllium appear to contribute individually to the development of BeS and CBD. Among workers at a beryllium-using facility, the magnitude of risk associated with either elevated beryllium exposure or carriage of DP{beta}E69 alone appears to be similar.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Health, Safety, and Security (HSS)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-06OR23100
- OSTI ID:
- 1030816
- Report Number(s):
- 11-OEWH-1905; OEMEEM; TRN: US201124%%476
- Journal Information:
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 68, Issue 11; ISSN 1351-0711
- Publisher:
- BMJ Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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