Skin sensitivity to beryllium seems to involve an immunologic reaction of the delayed type. Guinea pigs sensitized with BeSO4 were skin tested with the following beryllium compounds: BeSO4, Be-guinea pig serum albuminate, Be-hydrogen citrate, and Be-aurintricarboxylate. The state of beryllium in these combinations varies from the fully ionized to the fully chelated. Be-Hcitrate and Be-ATA produced negative reactions, while the otheir two combinations elicited positive responses. Be-albuminate produced consistently stronger positive reactions than BeSO4, indicating that it contained an antigenic principle stronger than the hapten present in BeSO4.
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Krivanek et al. (1972) studied this question.