Immune Response in Guinea Pigs Injected with Insoluble Beryllium Compounds

Abstract

Immune Response in Guinea Pigs Injected with Insoluble Beryllium Compounds: Tsutomu Yoshida, et al. Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Medicine—The changes in immune response of guinea pigs intrapleurally injected once with beryllium oxide (BeO) or beryllium copper alloy (Be‐Cu) were examined. To evaluate the changes in immune response of guinea pigs, two indicators, beryllium lymphocyte transformation test (Be‐LTT) and complement hemolytic activity (CH50), were used. The BeO or Be‐Cu injection groups was divided three groups, a high concentration injection group (36 μg Be dose), a low concentration injection group (3.6 jug Be dose) and the control group. The Be‐LTT and CH50 were determined in the blood of guinea pigs at 4, 8 and 16 weeks after Be administration. The Be‐LTT value at the 4th week in the BeO groups (a high or low concentration injection group, respectively) showed a statistically significant increase (p <0.01) compared with that of the control. In the Be‐LTT value for BeO at 8 and 1 6 weeks after Be injection and the Be‐Cu groups, there were no statistical difference between the Be administration groups and the control. On the other hand, only the CH50 of the high concentration group at the 8th week in the BeO injection group was significantly decreased (p <0.01) compared with that of the control. In the other Be injection group, no significant changes in the CH50 was observed compared with the control group. On the basis of the results observed in the present study, there may be a slight difference in the effect on the immune response of guinea pigs caused by BeO or Be‐Cu administration. The immunotoxicity of Be in guinea pigs may manifest itself more intensely in the cellular immune response than in the humoral immune response.