Goodpasture syndrome (anti-GBM disease)

Goodpasture syndrome, also called anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease, is a rare condition in which the immune system makes antibodies against a structural protein called type IV collagen found in the basement membrane lining the lungs and kidneys, leading to inflammation and damage in both. Research describes the disease as arising in genetically predisposed people, with a variety of environmental factors, including certain viral infections, proposed as possible triggers, though evidence for any single cause remains limited.

It is considered rare, with research estimating an incidence of roughly one case per million people per year, and it accounts for an estimated one in five cases of a serious kidney condition called rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. It can damage the kidneys quickly and cause bleeding in the lungs, so care is urgent and specialist-led, and research notes that early diagnosis and prompt treatment with immunosuppression and plasma exchange have meaningfully improved outcomes for people with this condition.

Common signs

Coughing, shortness of breath, and sometimes coughing up blood, along with kidney involvement seen as blood or protein in the urine, reduced urine output, swelling, fatigue, and pale skin from anemia.

This is a plain-language summary for orientation, not a diagnosis. Mechanisms are described as current understanding, not settled fact. Work with your own clinician for your care.