A 25-year-old woman presented to the office complaining of shortness of breath of 2 weeks duration. The patient had an upper respiratory tract infection, which was followed by dyspnea, cough, and hemoptysis. She does not complain of fever, night sweats, or weight changes. Her blood pressure is 160/95 mm Hg and her pulse is 96/min and regular. On examination, the patient has bilateral inspiratory crackles and lower limbs edema. Her creatinine is 4.5 mg/dL. Urinalysis reveals proteinuria and hematuria showing dysmorphic red blood cells. Radiological imaging shows pulmonary infiltrates on bilateral lungs. This patient's presentation is due to antibodies directed against which the following targets?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Antibodies directed against the alpha 3 chain of type 4 collagen in the glomerular and alveolar basement membrane, are the underlying etiology of Goodpasture's syndrome. Patients would present with nephrotic syndrome ( rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis) and shortness of breath and hemoptysis due to alveolar hemorrhage.

A 25-Year-Old Woman Presented to the Office Complaining of Shortness