Autoimmune diseases: Understanding Goodpasture's syndrome

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Goodpasture syndrome is a very rare but potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease. This condition usually occurs when our immune system mistakenly attacks the lung wall, along with the subunits that filter the kidneys. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, the disease can cause bleeding in the lungs, kidney failure, and later death.

1. Causes of Goodpasture's Syndrome

Goodpasture syndrome is a very rare disorder, the rate of men is higher than that of women, in which the age of onset is between 20-30 years old, but all ages have it. may be affected by this dangerous syndrome. The disease was first discovered in 1919, and so far only about 600 cases have been recorded in the medical books.
Currently, researchers are still not able to explain why the immune system attacks the collagen found in the kidneys and lungs. Many people think that Goodpasture syndrome can be inherited between generations in the family. Therefore, leading researchers have believed that genetic factors are one of the main causes of disease.
In addition, some of the following factors are also thought to be the cause of Goodpasture syndrome, including:
Long-term exposure to air containing a lot of metal dust Frequent exposure to certain chemicals certain drugs, eg hydrocarbon solvents or paraquat herbicides Frequent use of certain drugs such as cocaine Smoking

Infected by a virus

2. Typical Symptoms of Goodpasture's Syndrome

Goodpasture syndrome is often triggered by flu-like symptoms such as headache, high fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. Many patients present with concomitant pulmonary and renal symptoms, but some patients present with pulmonary or renal symptoms first for days or weeks. These symptoms include:
Foamy, or bloody urine Swelling of the legs High blood pressure Difficulty urinating or painful urination Low back pain under the ribs Swelling of the hands or feet Although Goodpasture syndrome can lead to internal bleeding lungs and can be life-threatening, but it usually doesn't cause long-term lung damage. Currently, the most serious consequence of Goodpasture syndrome is kidney failure and patients can undergo kidney transplantation or dialysis for treatment.

3. Diagnosis of Goodpasture . syndrome

Doctors often use several special tests to diagnose Goodpasture syndrome. First, doctors will conduct a routine physical exam on the patient, check blood pressure, or monitor for abnormal sounds that may appear in the heart or lungs of the patient. In addition, medical history also plays an important role in the diagnosis of Goodpasture syndrome.
Then, the doctor will ask you to perform a number of related tests such as:
Blood tests : A blood analysis will help find the presence of antibodies that are attacking the kidneys and lungs. Urinalysis: If the results show high levels of protein and a large number of red blood cells are found in the urine, it may indicate kidney damage. Biopsy: A very small piece of lung or kidney tissue may be taken to check for the presence of antibodies to Goodpasture syndrome. In addition, the process of analyzing body tissues also contributes to accurately determining the extent of kidney damage. Chest X-ray: To evaluate and identify lung lesions, for example, the appearance of abnormal white spots will show results related to bleeding in the lungs.

4. Treatments for Goodpasture syndrome

This syndrome is an autoimmune disease, so it should be treated with immunosuppression:
Fights harmful antibodies in the body Quickly controls the accumulation of fluids Control the condition High blood pressure Finally, prevent lung disease from progressing and treat kidney damage. Commonly used oral immunosuppressants include ascyclophosphamide and corticosteroids. These are drugs that have the ability to decrease the immune system's production of Goodpasture syndrome antibodies. In special cases, intravenous corticosteroids may be used to control blood flow in the lungs.
In addition, to treat Goodpasture syndrome, dialysis is often required. This is the solution to remove harmful antibodies in the blood. For this procedure, about 300ml is removed from the patient's body at a time and transferred into a centrifuge, where the red and white blood cells are separated from the plasma. , which contain antibodies to Goodpasture syndrome. The red and white blood cells are then mixed in and replaced with plasma, which is then returned to the body.
Dialysis usually takes place over a few weeks and Goodpasture syndrome can also last for several weeks or up to 2 years, if the disease worsens, the patient may need to be put on a ventilator or need a blood transfusion. Renal failure is the most common complication of Goodpasture syndrome, with less than 30% of patients surviving and requiring long-term dialysis.

To date, there is no effective preventive measure to deal with Goodpasture syndrome. Therefore, to reduce the risk of disease, you should prevent infections for the kidneys and lungs by avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals, not smoking, pipe tobacco, ... and when detecting these If you have symptoms of the disease, you must quickly bring the patient to a medical center for examination and treatment according to the right regimen.
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