A joint study by the Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center, the Center for Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology, and Caucasus University has been published in the internationally peer-reviewed journal Archives of the Balkan Medical Union.
The article, titled “Differential Inflammatory Responses to Interleukin-6 Blockade in Severe COVID-19: Insights from Biomarker Trajectories,” examines inflammatory biomarker changes in patients hospitalized in Georgia with severe COVID-19 following treatment with tocilizumab.
The authors of the study are Lela Kopaleishvili, Aleksandre Goginava, Vakhtang Sartania, Temur Petriashvili, Paata Vepkhvadze, Tengiz Verulava, Avtandil Jorbenadze, and Tengiz Tsertsvadze.
Of particular note is the participation of Avtandil Jorbenadze and Tengiz Tsertsvadze, two distinguished figures in Georgian medicine. The publication is among their final scientific works. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both made an invaluable contribution to the country’s response to the crisis, including the organization of medical services, the treatment of patients, and the overall management of the epidemic. Their direct professional and organizational involvement played a vital role in saving numerous lives and in creating the conditions necessary for the effective treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Georgia.
Article:
https://umbalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/03.DIFFERENTIAL-INFLAMMATORY-RESPONSES.pdf
Citation:
Kopaleishvili L, Goginava A, Sartania V, Petriashvili T, Vepkhvadze P, Verulava T, Jorbenadze A, Tsertsvadze T. Differential inflammatory responses to interleukin-6 blockade in severe COVID-19: insights from biomarker trajectories. Arch Balk Med Union. 2026;61(2):157–164. https://doi.org/10.31688/ABMU.2026.61.2.03.
Archives of the Balkan Medical Union is indexed in Scopus, one of the world’s leading international scientific databases.
The study was conducted through collaboration among Caucasus University, the Center for Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology, and Academician G. Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center. The three institutions have worked together for many years on joint scientific research projects, reflecting a strong and well-established partnership in clinical research and academic activity.
Summary
The study analyzed changes in inflammatory biomarkers in patients hospitalized in Georgia with severe COVID-19 after treatment with tocilizumab.
The findings showed a significant decrease in C-reactive protein levels following treatment, while the temporary rise in interleukin-6 was consistent with the expected pharmacodynamic effect of the drug. At the same time, persistently elevated levels of ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase appeared to be associated with poorer clinical outcomes.
The study highlights the importance of biomarker-guided, individualized immunomodulatory therapy in the treatment of severe COVID-19.
