CD4+ cells mitochondrial membrane potential in mild and moderate asthma

Background. The pathogenetic mechanisms of bronchial asthma (BA) are based on the processes of changes in the cellular energy status and lipid metabolism, the development of hypoxemia, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. A reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) is manifested even at the early stages of chronic lung diseases development and can be a key pathological sign of their clinical course aggravation.

Purpose. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of bronchial asthma on the MMP of CD4⁺ cells, depending on severity and disease control.

Materials and methods. The study included 289 patients with BA, of whom 151 exhibited mild severity and 138 exhibited moderate severity. The control group consisted of 60 volunteers who were deemed to be practically healthy. MMP was quantified using the JC-1 fluorescent dye and monoclonal antibodies for CD4⁺ identification by flow cytometry. Five distinct levels of MMP were identified. The calculations were performed using the STATISTICA 10.0 software.

Results. A reduction in the total MMP results in a decline in the number of cells exhibiting very high MMP levels, while the number of cells with high and medium MMP levels increases. As the disease progresses and the level of control declines, the total MMP level reduces, accompanied by an increase in the number of CD4⁺ cells exhibiting reduced and low MMP.

Conclusions. Patients with mild and moderate BA exhibited a pronounced unidirectional change in MMP levels of CD4⁺ cells, which is dependent on the degree of severity and level of disease control. The assessment of the redistribution of MMP levels of CD4⁺ cells provides an opportunity for the early detection of energy metabolism disorders in BA, which will allow optimizing the prevention of pathology progression.