Molecular architecture of the Goodpasture autoantigen in anti-GBM nephritis

In Goodpasture s disease, circulating autoantibodies bind to the noncollagenous-1 (NC1) domain of type IV collagen in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). The specificity and molecular architecture of epitopes of tissue-bound autoantibodies are unknown. Alport s post-transplantation nephritis, which is mediated by alloantibodies against the GBM, occurs after kidney transplantation in some patients with Alport s syndrome. We compared the conformations of the antibody epitopes in Goodpasture s disease and Alport s post-transplantation nephritis with the intention of finding clues to the pathogenesis of anti-GBM glomerulonephritis.