he Lupus Nephritis Collaborative Study was a randomized, controlled, multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of plasmapheresis therapy in subjects with severe lupus nephritis. The study was launched in 1981 and was funded by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Lupus nephritis is an autoimmune disease which leads to potentially severe renal disease (lupus nephritis) for which the standard therapy is steroids (prednisone) plus immunosuppressive drug therapy (cytoxan). Patients were randomized to receive either standard drug therapy versus drug therapy plus plasmapheresis. The principal outcome was significant renal impairment, renal transplant or dialysis or death. The study was terminated after 80 subjects had been enrolled due to lack of effectiveness. Long-term follow-up indicated that plasmapheresis had no beneficial long-term effects on survival (LNCSG, NEJM, 1992). All total, 9 papers have been published by the LNCS group. NIDDK Grant 2-R01-AM22769, 1981- 1988.