Rapidly progressive biopsy-proved renal amyloidosis developed in three brothers, aged 49, 52, and 55, or Irish-American origin. None had evidence of a plasma cell dyscrasia, a monoclonal serum or urine protein, or any underlying chronic disease. Immunoperoxidase staining of one pulmonary and one renal biopsy specimen was negative for Amyloid A (AA), Amyloid L (AL), and prealbumin. To investigate factors that might play a role in the disease, the subjects and 21 relatives were typed for antigens of the A, B, C, and DR loci and the linked marker genes for factor B and glyoxalase. The ability of macrophages to degrade serum amyloid A (SAA) [1] was examined. One brother yielded an intermediate AA-like produce similar to what is seen in most patients with AA or AL amyloidosis and 40 percent of normal subjects. The other two degraded SAA completely to small peptides. Analysis of the families revealed first that the disease was not linked to the major histocompatibility complex. We were unable to demonstrate a genetic relationship between processing of SAA by peripheral mononuclear cells and the human leukocyte antigen locus. Finally, the pattern of SAA degradation was not associated with the development of the disease.