Immunologic kidney disease.

Immunologically mediated renal diseases include Goodpasture's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy, poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, IgA-IgG nephropathy and anaphylactoid purpura. In Goodpasture's syndrome, antibodies are directed against the glomerular capillary basement membrane. The other disorders appear to result from circulating immune complexes which deposit in glomerular capillary walls or in the glomerular mesangium. Treatment with steroids and/or immunosuppressives is effective in lupus nephritis; in other diseases, the results are less certain.