http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/goodpasture/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Goodpasture syndrome is a rare disease that can affect the lungs and kidneys. It is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body's own defense system reacts against some part of the body itself. When the immune system is working normally, it creates antibodies to fight off germs. In Goodpasture syndrome, the immune system makes antibodies that end up attacking the lungs and kidneys. A combination of factors has been implicated, and among these is the presence of an inherited component.