COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS WITH AND WITHOUT RENAL INVOLVEMENT

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of auto-antibodies, immune complex formation, complement activation, and inflammatory damage to multiple organs. Renal involvement, commonly referred to as lupus nephritis (LN), represents one of the most clinically signif-icant manifestations of SLE because of its association with irreversible organ damage, increased treatment burden, and unfavorable long-term outcomes. Although renal and non-renal forms of SLE share common im-munopathological mechanisms, their clinical presentation, serological activity, and prognostic characteristics may differ substantially.