Anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis

Evidence: Antibody

Names

Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease
Anti-GBM disease
Goodpasture’s disease
Goodpasture’s syndrome

Description

Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease (anti-GBM disease) is a rare condition characterized by rapidly deteriorating kidney function and lung tissues. It stems from an autoimmune reaction, where the body's immune system erroneously targets and destroys healthy tissues. Individuals afflicted with this ailment produce antibodies that assail a protein known as collagen within the lung's small air sacs and the kidney's glomeruli, which are its filtering units. These antibodies, termed anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies, can inflict harm upon the basement membrane, leading to kidney impairment. Occasionally, the onset of this disorder is precipitated by a viral respiratory infection or exposure to hydrocarbon solvents. In such instances, the immune system may misinterpret organs or tissues as foreign agents, prompting an attack. Consequently, this flawed immune response results in lung air sac bleeding and inflammation within the kidney's filtering units.