Journal of Leukocyte Biology - Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in leucocytes as post-COVID-19 sequelae, Díaz-Resendiz et al, 2022

[Kalliope]

Abstract

The mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) is a parameter often used to determine mitochondrial function; therefore, it can be used to determine the integrity and functionality of cells. A decrement of ΔΨm is implicated in several inflammatory-related pathologies, such phenomena can be related to COVID-19 infection.

The present work aimed to compare the ΔΨm in leucocytes (human PBMCs; HPBMC) isolated from healthy control (HC) subjects, patients with COVID-19 (C-19), recovered subjects at 40 ± 13 (R1) and 335 ± 20 (R2) days after infection (dai).

Obtained data showed that ΔΨm decreased in HPBMC of subjects with C-19, R1, and R2 compared with HC. When analyzing the ΔΨmdata by sex, in females, a significant decrease was observed in R1 and R2 groups versus HC.

Regarding men, a significant decrease of ΔΨm was observed in R1, with respect to HC, contrary to R2 group, who reestablished this parameter.

Obtained results suggest that the loss of ΔΨm could be related to the long-COVID.

https://jlb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/JLB.3MA0322-279RRR

 

[Kalliope]

Spotted the paper via a tweet by prof. Kunst with the following comment:

The mitochondria are commonly seen as the powerhouse of the cells as they turn food into energy. A new study now observed a loss of their membrane among people with #LongCovid, which likely indicates mitochondrial dysfunction (similar as in #MECFS).

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

The abstract suggests that mitochondrial membrane potentials are down in leucocytes from people recovered from Covid so I fail to see the relevance to LongCovid?

 

[Hutan]

The abstract suggests that mitochondrial membrane potentials are down in leucocytes from people recovered from Covid so I fail to see the relevance to LongCovid?

Yes, does anyone have access to the full paper, so we can see if they looked at any relationship between symptoms and mitochondrial membrane potentials?

The misinformation in the tweeted replies is pretty sad - lots of speculation presented as fact with an immediate jump to trying to treat 'the problem' with supplements.

One tweet links the finding to this recent ME/CFS paper by Che, Lipkin et al:
Evidence for Peroxisomal Dysfunction and Dysregulation of the CDP-Choline Pathway in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
"Other findings included decreased levels of several membrane lipids, including phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins, that may indicate dysregulation of the cytidine-5’-diphosphocholine pathway."

We have a thread for that study, but we haven't given it much attention yet.
Evidence for Peroxisomal Dysfunction and Dysregulation of the CDP-Choline Pathway in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2022, Lipkin