Assessment of the Mitochondrial Condition in CD4 + and CD8 + T-Lymphocytes from Healthy Subjects

Despite the active study of T-lymphocyte mitochondria under pathology, data on the organelles’ condition in healthy people are not presented in the available literature. The aim of this work was to assess mitochondrial condition in CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes of healthy subjects. In both cell subsets, the mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial membrane potential, as well as the content of the mitochondrial-activity regulator (PGC-1α), were determined by flow cytometry. Naive and memory cells, as well as resting and cycling lymphocytes were compared. It was shown for the first time that in healthy subjects, mitochondrial condition differs between CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes. Despite the cell maturation stage or resting/cycling status, the mass and membrane potential of mitochondria in CD4 + T-lymphocytes significantly exceed those in CD8 + T-cells. Both CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes have higher mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial membrane potential, and PGC-1α content in memory cells and cycling elements. Furthermore in healthy individuals, the relationship between the level of the mitochondrial activity regulator and the indices of mitochondrial condition differ significantly between CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes: in CD4 + T-cells, the PGC-1α content is directly related to the mass of mitochondria, but in CD8 + T-lymphocytes, it is directly related with the organelles’ transmembrane potential.