Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane
Alternate Names : Antibody to Human Glomerular Basement Membrane, GBM Antibody Test
Definition This is a blood test that detects the presence of antibodies to glomerular (kidney) basement membrane proteins.
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Why is the Test Performed?
This test is used when the presence of antibodies against the glomerular basement membrane (part of the kidney filtering system) is suspected as the cause of kidney disease.
Immunologically-mediated kidney diseases may involve autoantibodies (antibodies against the body's own tissue) directed against kidney antigens; or it may involve immune complexes of autoantibodies (an antibody and antigen combine to form a complex) that become deposited in the filtering system of the kidneys. In the first case, formation of antibodies against the basement membrane of the filtering system results in damage to the basement membrane and kidney failure.
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