From what I have read, Carole, it is a disease of the immune system. The body's immune system attacks healthy tissue, including the kidneys in this case.

Immunosuppresive drugs are often used, as they are for MS, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders.

Some people with pasture's have had to have a kidney transplant. Since a transplant patient has to take immunosuppressant medication for the rest of their lives, that probably also keeps the symptoms at bay.

From Wikipedia:
Autoimmune diseases

Rituximab has been shown to be an effective rheumatoid arthritis treatment in three randomised controlled trials and is now licensed for use in refractory rheumatoid disease.[7] In the United States, it has been FDA-approved for use in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with moderately- to severely-active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more anti-TNF-alpha therapies.

There is some evidence for efficacy, but not necessarily safety, in a range of other autoimmune diseases, and rituximab is widely used off-label to treat difficult cases of multiple sclerosis,[8] systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune anemias.[9]...

Other autoimmune diseases that have been treated with rituximab include autoimmune hemolytic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP),[11][12] Evans syndrome,[13] vasculitis (for example Wegener's Granulomatosis), bullous skin disorders (for example pemphigus, pemphigoid), type 1 diabetes mellitus, Sjogren's syndrome, and Devic's disease,[14] and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.[15]

A new study from Norway suggests that rituximab (together with methotrexate) might help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.[16] A clinical trial is ongoing.[17]
Does NZ have a retraining programme he might be eligible for in order to get away from the chemicals? The pasture's may not be related to it, but surely it is hard on him to work there.



HUGS and prayers going out.