Experts:
no link proven between
kidney
disease and Iraq duty
By Maria Papadopoulos
ENTERPRISE STAFF
WRITER
Posted Oct 05, 2008
LAKEVILLE —
Goodpasture’s
syndrome is a rare
autoimmune disease that
causes the immune system to
make antibodies that attack
specific parts of the lungs
and kidneys and destroy
them, according to Dr.
Catherine Meyers, director
of the Inflammatory Renal
Diseases Program at the
National Institute for
Diabetes, Digestive and
Kidney Diseases in Bethesda,
Md.
An estimated 200 to 250
cases of Goodpasture’s
syndrome are diagnosed each
year in the U.S. While an
older patient population
typically receives dialysis,
it is not uncommon for
people in their 20s and 30s
to get the disease, Meyers
said.
According to
the National Kidney and
Urologic Diseases
Information Clearinghouse,
researchers have identified
a number of possible causes,
among them:
Presence
of an inherited component.
Exposure
to certain chemicals,
including hydrocarbon
solvents and the weed killer
Paraquat.
Viral
infections.
From
2001-2005, 604 patients were
diagnosed with Goodpasture’s
syndrome as the reason for
their kidney failure. Nearly
half, or 49 percent, of
these cases were among men
with a mean age of 59 years,
Meyers said.
Of those
cases, one-fifth died within
a year after starting
dialysis.
There is
ongoing research to
determine why, with the
disease, antibody cells in
the immune system are
“producing these antibodies
that are so destructive and
toxic,” Meyers said.
“With such a
low incidence in the
population, it’s difficult
to really nail these down,”
Meyers said.
Meyers said she hasn’t seen
a cluster of pulmonary or
kidney diseases from
Goodpasture’s syndrome among
veterans returning from any
war. She hasn’t heard of any
similar cases of a veteran
returning home from Iraq or
Afghanistan and developing
the disease.
“There’s no
data at this point to
suggest that wartime
exposure, however that might
be defined, is a risk factor
for developing Goodpasture’s,”
Meyers said. “This hasn’t
been reported.”
According to
a leading researcher on the
Gulf War syndrome, there
could be a correlation
between chemical exposure
among soldiers in Iraq and
the kidney failure seen with
Bowlby. It’s too early to
tell but should be looked
at, he said.
“It could be
related to chemicals. It’s
very possible. It’s
something again that will
need to be examined
closely,” said Mohamed B.
Abou-Donia, professor of
pharmacology and cancer
biology and professor of
neurobiology at Duke
University Medical Center.
He has published several
studies on chemical exposure
among veterans of the Gulf
War.
Regarding any
possible link to kidney
failure among veterans
returning from Iraq,
Abou-Donia said, “We don’t
know. Until we have more
than just a few people
talking about it, we will
not know if it is a common
problem.”
Kidney
problems among veterans
returning from Iraq is a
growing concern for Marilyn
Mansfield, veteran’s agent
for the town of Lakeville.
Mansfield
said she knows at least two
other young veterans from
Lakeville who had kidney
issues after returning from
Iraq.
“It appears
to be an issue that the VA
has to be very serious
about,” said Mansfield.
Bowlby’s family, meanwhile,
was awaiting autopsy
results.
Mother-Margaret