[Glomerulonephritis by glomerular anti-basement membrane antibodies after renal transplantation].

Glomerulonephritis (GN) due to antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies after kidney transplantation may be classified into two groups: 1. Recurrent GN are very rare provided circulating anti-GBM antibodies are absent at grafting. If present, linear fixation along the GBM occurs but does not lead to GN in some cases. 2. De novo anti-GBM diseases have been rarely reported. They developed in 8 patients with Alport's syndrome and in at least 3 additional patients in whom hereditary nephritis was not the original disease. A prospective and retrospective study was performed in 54 transplanted patients with hereditary nephritis: circulating anti-GBM antibodies were detected in only one case; linear fixation along the GBM was found but no evidence of GN. The risk of anti-GBM disease after kidney transplantation is low in patients with hereditary nephritis but this complication must be rapidly identified. Its occurrence is probably related to the defect in GBM antigenicity involving the Goodpasture antigen, found in some patients with Alport's syndrome or related hereditary nephritis.