Jeffrey S. Berman, MD
Emeritus Professor, Medicine
Biography
I have had an interest in Pulmonary Immunology for over 20 years. I began by looking at basic mechanisms of lymphocyte accumulation in response to cytokine signals, and I have gradually turned my interest to clinical and translational research. In the past ten years I have divided my time between basic and translational investigations involving the novel cytokine, osteopontin, and clinical research involving patients with Sarcoidosis.
My interest in osteopontin (Opn) began upon hearing a report that OPN was the most prevalent message upregulated in macrophages upon exposure to mycobacterium. It is an odd duck amongst cytokines, in that it is prominently expressed in bone and is involved in disparate processes such as bone remodeling, wound healing, inflammation, and tumor metastasis. I have been interested in the immunologic and inflammatory aspects of Opn, and my laboratory has been involved in research linking Opn to T cell function, granuloma formation and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.
My interest in Sarcoidosis rose out of my 20-year involvement in the Tuberculosis Clinic at the Boston City Hospital and an affiliated homeless shelter. Viewing Sarcoidosis as a “companion” disease to TB, I was intrigued by the mysteries behind this granulomatous disease. I gradually built a Sarcoid population within the TB clinic and 10 years ago spun off my current Sarcoid Clinic. My colleague, David Serlin, and I see approximately 150 new patients each year, some referred for second opinions and other referred for ongoing diagnosis or management. We have a number of clinical research projects ongoing, including the examination of the impact of atopy and nasal disease on Sarcoid clinical course, the use of nasal lavage and brushing for biopsy and prognostication in Sarcoidosis, diagnosis of cardiac disease, and management of calcium and bone metabolism in Sarcoidosis. We share clinic space and collaborate with Dr. Hap Farber and the Pulmonary Hypertension Center in the diagnosis and care of patients with Sarcoidosis who develop pulmonary arterial hypertension. We hope to soon be involved in a large national study of Sarcoidosis in African American women with Sarcoidosis.
Other Positions
- Member, Pulmonary Center, Boston University
Education
- Case Western Reserve University, MD
- Yale University, BA
Publications
- Published on 11/1/2022
Cozier YC, Govender P, Berman JS. Obesity and Sarcoidosis Risk: An Index Under Suspicion. Chest. 2022 Nov; 162(5):954-956. PMID: 36344120.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/22/2021
Lui JK, Mesfin N, Tugal D, Klings ES, Govender P, Berman JS. Critical Care of Patients With Cardiopulmonary Complications of Sarcoidosis. J Intensive Care Med. 2022 Apr; 37(4):441-458. PMID: 33611981.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/30/2020
Abston E, Hon S, Lawrence R, Berman J, Govender P, Farber HW. Treatment of newly diagnosed sarcoid-associated pulmonary hypertension with ambrisentan and tadalafil combination therapy. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2020; 37(2):234-238. PMID: 33093789.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/30/2020
Abston E, Moll M, Hon S, Govender P, Berman J, Farber H. Long-term outcomes of epoprostenol therapy in sarcoid associated pulmonary hypertension. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2020; 37(2):184-191. PMID: 33093782.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/1/2018
Cozier YC, Govender P, Berman JS. Obesity and sarcoidosis: consequence or contributor? Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2018 09; 24(5):487-494. PMID: 29979212.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/15/2018
Raghu G, Berman JS, Govender P. Treatment of Sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 03 15; 197(6):P9-P10. PMID: 29543101.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/25/2016
Ahmadian A, Pawar S, Govender P, Berman J, Ruberg FL, Miller EJ. The response of FDG uptake to immunosuppressive treatment on FDG PET/CT imaging for cardiac sarcoidosis. J Nucl Cardiol. 2017 Apr; 24(2):413-424. PMID: 27457527.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/9/2015
Govender P, Berman JS. The Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2015 Dec; 36(4):585-602. PMID: 26593135.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/1/2015
Grayson PC, Steiling K, Platt M, Berman JS, Zhang X, Xiao J, Alekseyev YO, Liu G, Monach PA, Kaplan MJ, Spira A, Merkel PA. Defining the nasal transcriptome in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's). Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015 May; 67(8):2233-9. PMID: 25939343.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/1/2015
Cozier YC, Coogan PF, Govender P, Berman JS, Palmer JR, Rosenberg L. Obesity and weight gain in relation to incidence of sarcoidosis in US black women: data from the Black Women's Health Study. Chest. 2015 Apr; 147(4):1086-93. PMID: 25411869.
Read at: PubMed
View 69 more publications: View full profile at BUMC