Contact sensitivity in vitro. II. The effect of beryllium preparations on the proliferative responses of specifically allergised lymphocytes and normal lymphocytes stimulated with PHA.

Beryllium in various physical forms was studied for its ability to induce increased 14C-thymidine incorporation by allergised guinea pig lymphocytes. No increase was observed. It was further shown that beryllium had an inhibitory effect on the response of normal lymphocytes to PHA and on the response of allergised lymphocytes to antigen. These results support the finding in other systems that beryllium can suppress DNA synthesis.