Background Susceptibility to beryllium (Be)-hypersensitivity (BH) has been associated with HLA-DP alleles carrying a glutamate at position 69 of the HLA-DP -chain (HLA-DPGlu69) and with several HLA-DP, -DQ and -DR alleles and polymorphisms. 0.55 vs Be-sensitized) Be-exposed controls. However, 22 subjects presenting BH did not carry the HLA-DPGlu69 marker. We thus evaluated the contribution of all the HLA-DR, -DP and -DQ polymorphisms in determining BH susceptibility in this subgroup of HLA-Glu69 subjects. In HLA-DPGlu69-negatives a significant association with BH was found for the HLA-DQLeu26, for the HLA-DRB1 locus residues Ser13, Tyr26, His32, Asn37, Phe47 and Arg74 and for the HLA-DRB3 locus clusterized residues Arg11, Tyr26, Asp28, Leu38, Ser60 and Arg74. HLA-DRPhe47 (OR 2.956, p < 0.05) resulting independently associated with BH. Further, Be-stimulated T-cell proliferation in the HLA-DPGlu69-bad subjects (all transporting HLA-DRPhe47) was inhibited from the anti-HLA-DR antibody (range 70C92% inhibition) significantly more than from the anti-HLA-DP antibody (range: 6C29%; p 31690-09-2 supplier < 0.02 compared to anti-HLA-DR) while it was not affected by the anti-HLA-DQ antibody. Summary We conclude that HLA-DPGlu69 is the main marker of Be-hypersensitivity and HLA-DRPhe47 is definitely associated with BH in Glu69-bad subjects, likely playing a role in Be-presentation and sensitization. Background Due to its unique chemical-physical properties, beryllium (Become) compounds continue to be used in aerospace, ceramics, defence, electronics and telecommunication industries where inhalation 31690-09-2 supplier of Become dust is the cause of Be-hypersensitivity (BH) in vulnerable individuals [1]. Among subjects developing Be-hypersensitivity, all show sensitization, i.e. T-cell reactivity to Be revealed by either a blood or a bronchalveolar lavage cell test. Less than 50% of subjects with 31690-09-2 supplier BH present which chronic disease [1-3] i.e., with chronic granuloma formation in the lung managed from the build up in the lower respiratory tract of CD4+ T-cells responding to 31690-09-2 supplier Become as a specific antigen/hapten [4], showing an effector-memory phenotype [5,6] and generating Th1 cytokines upon Become activation [4-6]. The observation that beryllium disease affects only 1 1 to 16% of 31690-09-2 supplier Be-exposed individuals led to the hypothesis that genetic susceptibility may perform an important part in the pathogenesis of this disease [1]. In 1993, the HLA-DP supratypic variant characterized by a glutamic acid at position 69 of the HLA-DP molecule chain (DPGlu69) was identified as a genetic marker of susceptibility to BH, an observation consequently confirmed by seven self-employed studies [7-14]. Two independent studies have also recognized the HLA-DPGlu69 marker as the immune response gene responsible for presentation of Become to Be-specific T-cells [15,16] and an immunochemical study has suggested the structural basis for Become presentation from the HLA-DPGlu69 positive molecule is in its unique ability to bind beryllium with high affinity probably in the context of a coordination bond created from the contribution of additional electron donor organizations present in the fourth pocket of the peptide binding groove of the HLA-DP molecule [17]. Further, antibody inhibition studies have shown that Be-presentation to blood and lung T-cells in DPGlu69-positive subjects is inhibited almost specifically by anti-HLA-DP antibodies [16,18], strongly indicating HLA-DPGlu69 as the immune response gene used by DPGlu69-positive subjects i.e., on the subject of 80% of the BH affected human population [7-14]. In contrast, the HLA gene which might function as the immune response gene in DPGlu69-bad BH-affected subjects i.e., in the remaining 20% of the BH affected human population, has not yet been determined. Earlier studies have recognized the HLA-DRB1 alleles belonging to the *01 group [13] as negatively associated with berylliosis, while the HLA-DRB1 variants Ser11 [12], Tyr26 [10], Asn37 [12], Glu71 [12] and Arg74 [10] and the HLA-DQ variant Gly86 [12] were positively associated with BH. Analysis of the role of these markers has, however, been hampered by the small size of the populations examined in most studies. In all studies published so far, the putative susceptibility markers covered only 40 to 50% of the DPGlu69-bad subjects. In this context, our previous study [10] on 45 individuals affected by beryllium sensitization with or without demonstrable lung granulomas, showed that HLA-DR Arg74 and Tyr26 were associated with sensitization without lung granulomas, and HLA-DP Glu69 with sensitization accompanied by lung granulomas, therefore suggesting TLR4 a different part for Glu69 and these markers [10]. However, in the HLA-DPGlu69 bad subjects reported in the Saltini et al. study human population, HLA-DR Arg74 and Tyr26 were expressed only by 11 out of 19 DPGlu69 bad sensitized subjects 10 of which without and one with demonstrable lung.