TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA GENE-EXPRESSION IN HUMAN MONOCYTIC THP-1 CELLS EXPOSED TO BERYLLIUM

Chronic beryllium disease, which results from occupational exposure to particulate beryllium, is characterized by the development of lung gr anulomas and progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Increased production of p roinflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alpha and interl eukin-1 beta) by pulmonary alveolar macrophages occurs in many chronic fibrotic lung diseases and is thought to contribute to the disease pr ocess. The purpose of the present study was to investigate cytokine pr oduction by human monocytic cells exposed to beryllium in vitro. The r esults indicated that such cells respond to beryllium ions in the pres ence of fluoride by accumulation of messenger ribonucleic acid for bot h tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta. These findings s uggest that inhaled beryllium may directly stimulate the production of these cytokines by alveolar macrophages in vivo.