The first seven cases of chronic beryllium disease in ceramic factory workers in Japan.

In the present paper the first 7 cases in Japan of chronic beryllium disease found in workers employed in a ceramic factory utilizing beryllium have been described. Immunological examinations of these cases showed changes similar to those observed in sarcoidosis, that is, negative tuberculin test and increase in serum gamma globulin and immunoglobulins. The fact that a considerable number of workers in the same factories as the patients showed negative tuberculin reaction may suggest that there may be further cases of chronic beryllium disease among them that are still in a latent period.