Relapse in anti glomerular basement membrane antibody mediated crescentic glomerulonephritis

Patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis and anti glomerular basement membrane antibody typically experience a rapidly progressive course. Remission and relapse in renal disease are unusual. We report two patients with this syndrome who remitted following immunosuppressive therapy and relapsed 20 and 48 months later, respectively. The pathogenesis of relapse is discussed. It is different from the initial insult in that antiglomerular antibody may not be important.