Specimen Collection

3.5 mL SST Serum (Preferred)

4 mL Plain Serum

250 uL Microsample Serum
Reference Intervals

Uncertainty of measurement: 16%

Units: IU/mL

Age Range	Either Sex
All	< 7

Abnormal

Age Range	Either Sex
All	>= 10

Equivocal

Age Range	Either Sex
All	7 - 9

Turnaround Time:

Tested 2 - 3 times a week.

Diagnostic Use and Interpretation

Anti-GBM antibodies in the presence of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and pulmonary involvement are suggestive of Goodpasture's syndrome (anti GBM disease is diagnosed if there is isolated renal involvement). These antibodies are rarely seen in the normal population and uncommonly detected in renal diseases due to other causes. Titres are usually highest at presentation and may decline with treatment. Once GBM antibodies are lost they usually remain absent, and transplantation at this stage is rarely complicated by recurrent disease.

GBM antibodies occur in two clinical settings:

Linear deposition of antibody along both the glomerular and pulmonary basement membrane accounts for haematuria, renal failure and recurrent haemoptysis that characterise patients afflicted with Goodpastures syndrome.

Antibodies may be deposited as immune complexes and demonstrate only slight to moderate granulation. Diseases demonstrating this secondary immune response include (a) scleroderma (b) diabetic glomerulonephritis (c) SLE (d) malignant hypertension (e) polyarteritis nodosa and (f) toxaemia of pregnancy

References

1 Use and Interpretation of tests in Clinical Immunology. Peter, J.B. Eighth Edition, 1991. Speciality Laboratories, USA.

2 Essential Immunology. Roitt, I. Seventh Edition

Contact Information

For further information contact the laboratory, (09) 307 4949 ext 22103 or:
Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga , Immunopathologist: Locator 93-5724,

Dr Richard Steele , or The LabPLUS Immunology Team

Last updated at 13:27:52 21/02/2019