Morphometric analysis of mitochondria in lymphocytes of patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – pilot study

Abstract

Adam J Białas,1 Paweł P Liberski,2 Anna Zielińska,2 Anna Kumor-Kisielewska,1,3 Karolina Szewczyk,1,3 Joanna Miłkowska-Dymanowska,1 Przemysław Sitarek,4 Wojciech J Piotrowski,1 Paweł Górski1 1Department of Pneumology and Allergy, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland; 2Department of Molecular Pathology and Neuropathology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland; 3Laboratory of Respiratory Immunopathology, Department of Pneumology and Allergy, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland; 4Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland Introduction: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD) are important events in the course of the disease, negatively influencing health status and disease progression. Therefore, there is a strong need for deeper understanding of the pathology of ECOPD to elaborate new therapeutic approaches and ameliorate prognoses. Contributions of mitochondria to pathobiology of COPD are still under investigation, although growing evidence suggests their important role in this disease. The aim of our study was to assess the morphometric parameters of mitochondria in lymphocytes of patients with ECOPD. Patients and methods: Lymphocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with COPD. Transmission electron microscopy was used to assess absolute number of mitochondria per cell, mitochondrial content, and morphometric parameters of individual mitochondria. We also counted indexes for elongation and interconnectivity. Results: Eighteen patients (9 with ECOPD and 9 in the stable period of the disease) were analyzed. We observed significantly lower length of mitochondrion (P=0.03) and significant decrease both in elongation (P=0.03) and interconnectivity indexes (P=0.04) in ECOPD patients. Conclusions: The morphometric parameters of mitochondria in lymphocytes derived from patients during the early period of ECOPD requiring hospitalization are altered in comparison to patients in the stable period of the disease. This suggests their contribution to pathobiology of ECOPD. These preliminary outcomes should be further validated in larger size samples. Keywords: mitochondria, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ECOPD, T lymphocytes, apoptosi