What is the Difference Between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s Syndrome

The key difference between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome is that Wegener’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which blood vessels become inflamed due to problems in the immune system, leading to damage in major organs of the body, while Goodpasture syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects major organs of the body such as kidneys and lungs due to autoantibodies attacking their basement membranes.

Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system of the body cannot identify the difference between its own cells and foreign cells. This causes the body to attack normal cells mistakenly. There are 80 different types of autoimmune disorders. Therefore, Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome are two different autoimmune disorders.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Wegener’s Syndrome (Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis or GPA)
3. What is Goodpasture’s Syndrome
4. Similarities – Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s Syndrome
5. Wegener’s vs. Goodpasture’s Syndrome in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Wegener’s vs. Goodpasture’s Syndrome

What is Wegener’s Syndrome?

Wegener’s syndrome is a rare disorder in which blood vessels become inflamed, ultimately leading to damage in organs such as lungs, kidneys, nose, sinuses, and ears. It is also known as granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The exact cause of this disorder is not known. However, it is believed that antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) that have been triggered by several drugs, including cocaine, hydralazine, propylthiouracil, and minocycline, may play a role in Wegener’s syndrome. The symptoms of Wegener’s syndrome may include frequent ear infections, bloody noses, night sweats, fatigue, general malaise, pain and sores around the opening of the nose, cough with or without blood in the sputum, chest pain and shortness of breath, loss of appetite, skin changes like bruises of the skin, kidney problems, bloody urine, eye problems, joint pain, weakness, and abdominal pain.

Wegener’s syndrome can be diagnosed through physical examination, chest X-ray, biopsy, and imaging tests such as sinus and chest CT scans. Treatment options for Wegener’s syndrome may include medications such as rituximab, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and azathioprine to manage the vasculitis, along with drugs to counteract bone loss caused by prednisone, folic acid supplements for those taking methotrexate, and antibiotics to prevent lung infections.

What is Goodpasture’s Syndrome?

Goodpasture syndrome is a rare, life-threatening disorder. It is an autoimmune condition that affects the lungs and the kidneys. Goodpasture syndrome is caused by autoantibodies that attack collagen in the glomerular basement membrane of the kidneys and collagen in the lung’s air sacs. This syndrome affects men more than women. It normally starts between ages 20-30 or after 60 years. Moreover, the symptoms of Goodpasture syndrome may include difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough, a rattling noise, fatigue, fever, nose bleeds, coughing up blood, pale skin, anemia, blood in the urine, decrease in urine, high blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting.

Goodpasture syndrome can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood test, urine test, CT scan, chest X-ray, bronchoscopy, and kidney biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for Goodpasture syndrome are medicines such as corticosteroids (prednisone), immunosuppressant drugs (cyclophosphamide), and plasmapheresis.

What are the Similarities Between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s Syndrome?

• Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome are two different autoimmune disorders.
• They are rare disorders.
• Both disorders can cause major organs to collapse.
• They may lead to complications.
• Both disorders can be diagnosed through physical examination, biopsy, and imaging tests.
• They are treated through specific medications.

What is the Difference Between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s Syndrome?

Wegener’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which blood vessels become inflamed due to immune system problems that lead to damage in major organs of the body, including lungs, kidneys, nose, sinuses, and ears, while Goodpasture syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects major organs of the body such as kidneys and lungs due to autoantibodies that attack their basement membranes. Thus, this is the key difference between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome. Furthermore, Wegener’s syndrome was first described in 1936 by a German pathologist called Friedrich Wegener. On the other hand, Goodpasture’s syndrome was described in 1919 by an American pathologist called Ernest Goodpasture.

The infographic below presents the differences between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Wegener’s vs. Goodpasture’s Syndrome

Autoimmune disorders such as Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome begin when the immune system of the body attacks and destroys healthy body tissues mistakenly. Both these disorders can cause a collapse of major organs in the body. Wegener’s syndrome is a rare disorder in which blood vessels become inflamed, leading to organ damage, while Goodpasture’s syndrome is a rare disorder that is responsible for the quick worsening of kidney failure and lung disease. So, this summarizes the difference between Wegener’s and Goodpasture’s syndrome.

Reference:

1. “Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (Wegener’s).” Rheumatology.org
2. “Goodpasture Syndrome (Anti-GBM Disease): What Is It, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Wegener’s granulomatosis – very high mag” By Nephron – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diffuse hemorrhage-Goodpasture syndrome” By Dr. Yale Rosen Atlas of Pulmonary Pathology’s Photostream (CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED) via Flickr