Alport Syndrome

Table of Contents
What is Alport syndrome?
What causes Alport syndrome?
What are the genetic types of Alport syndrome?
What are the signs and symptoms of Alport syndrome?
How is Alport syndrome diagnosed?
How is Alport syndrome treated?
Where can I find more information?
• What is Alport syndrome?
• Alport syndrome is a disease that damages the tiny blood vessels in your
kidneys. It can lead to kidney disease and kidney failure. It can also cause
hearing loss and problems within the eyes. Alport syndrome causes damage to
your kidneys by attacking the glomeruli. Glomeruli are the tiny filtering units
inside your kidneys
• What causes Alport syndrome?
• Alport syndrome is an inherited disease, which means it is passed down through
families. It is caused by changes in your genes (mutations) to a protein called
collagen. Collagen is important to the normal structure and function of the
kidneys. Changes to collagen can also cause problems with the eyes and ears.
That’s because collagen helps maintain healthy tissue in the eyes and ears