GLOMERULAR-BASEMENT-MEMBRANE ANTIBODIES IN HANTAVIRUS DISEASE (HEMORRHAGIC-FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME)

The prevalence of antibodies against glomerular basement membrane (GEM ) antigens in sera from 47 patients with serologically verified hantav irus (Puumala serotype) infection were investigated. Antibodies were m easured by immunoassays using as antigen a crude human GEM preparation and the NCl portion of type IV collagen (Goodpasture antigen), respec tively. Seventyseven percent of the patients had IgM antibodies agains t the non-Goodpasture glomerular basement membrane (non-GP GEM) in the ir acute phase serum samples as compared to only 4% seropositivity rat e in convalescent phase samples. However, there was no correlation bet ween the non-GP GEM IgM antibody levels and the decrease in GFR as mea sured by Cr EDTA clearance. None of the patients had antibodies agains t the Goodpasture antigen. In a control group of 10 patients with infl uenza and parainfluenza infections serum IgM against non-GP GEM could not be demonstrated, neither in acute phase nor in convalescent phase sera, The possible pathophysiological implications of these findings a re discussed.