Causes of 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.