What is Goodpasture Syndrome?
Goodpasture syndrome is a rare disease that can
affect the lungs and kidneys. It is an autoimmune disease, a condition in
which the body's own defense system reacts against some part of the body
itself. When the immune system is working normally, it creates antibodies
to fight off germs. No one knows why, in Goodpasture syndrome, the immune
system makes antibodies that end up attacking the lungs and kidneys. A
combination of factors has been implicated, and among these is the
presence of an inherited component.
Goodpasture Syndrome Symptoms & Diagnosis
Goodpasture syndrome can cause people to cough up blood or feel a
burning sensation when urinating. But the first signs of this disease may
be vague, like fatigue, nausea, dyspnea (difficult breathing), or pallor.
These signs are followed by kidney involvement, represented first with
small amounts of blood in the urine, protein excretion in the urine, and
other clinical and laboratory findings.
To diagnose Goodpasture syndrome, doctors can now use a blood test, but
a kidney biopsy may be necessary to check for the presence of the harmful
antibody.
Goodpasture Syndrome Treatment
Goodpasture syndrome is treated with immunosuppressive drugs given by
mouth to keep the immune system from making antibodies. Corticosteroids
may be given intravenously to control bleeding in the lungs. A process
called plasmapheresis (PLAZ-ma-fer-REE-sis) may be helpful and necessary
to filter the harmful antibodies from the blood; this is usually done in
combination with the steroid treatment.
Goodpasture syndrome may last only a few weeks or as long as 2 years.
Bleeding in the lungs can be very serious in some cases. But Goodpasture
syndrome does not usually lead to permanent lung damage. Damage to the
kidneys, however, may be long-lasting. If the kidneys fail, kidney
transplantation or dialysis therapy to remove waste products and extra
fluid from the blood may become necessary.
More Information on Goodpasture Syndrome
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