Complement C5 mAb in the Treatment of Anti-GBM Disease

Anti-GBM disease is the most severe form of glomerulonephritis. Despite of the standard treatment including plasmapheresis and immunosuppressant, 70% of the patients still go into end-stage kidney disease. Complement has been shown to participate in the pathogenesis of anti-GBM disease. This study aims to the investigate the therapeutic effects and safety of C5 monoclonal antibody in the treatment of anti-GBM disease.

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease is the most severe form of autoimmune glomerulonephritis, characterized by the production of autoantibodies targeting the components of basement membrane within the kidney and/or the lung.Patients with anti-GBM disease typically present rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, and often accompanied by lung hemorrhage. The hallmark of the disease is the linear deposition of IgG along the GBM on kidney biopsy. Complement activation is a pivotal step for kidney injuries during the development of human anti-GBM disease. Our previous study showed that the The levels of plasma SC5b-9 and urinary C5a were positively correlated with the serum creatinine at presentation and the percentage of crescents in glomeruli. Eculizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to a C5 terminal complement and inhibits the cleavage of C5 to C5a and C5b through complement activation. There are a few case reports showing therapeutic effects in anti-GBM disease. This trial will aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Eculizumab plus standard treatment in anti-GBM disease.