Severe COVID ‐19 correlates with lower mitochondrial cristae density in PBMCs and greater sitting time in humans

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Mitochondrial morphology in PBMCs. (a) Representative transmission electron microscopy images of mitochondrial morphology in human PBMCs of control healthy subjects (CTRL), patients with non‐severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19), and patients with severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19++). (b–d) quantification of mitochondrial (b) size, (c) number, and (d) density. (e) Mitochondrial size distributions. N = 5–6 per group; each point represents the mean of 4–6 cells and of >5 mitochondria/cell for each subject. Data are presented as median, minimum, and maximum. Kruskal‐Wallis was used to compare groups.

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  FIGURE 2. Mitochondrial cristae density and morphology in PBMCs. (a) Representative transmission electron microscopy images of mitochondrial morphology in human PBMCs of control healthy subjects (CTRL), patients with non‐severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19), and patients with severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19++). (b) Example of an abnormal mitochondrial cristae. (c, e) quantification of mitochondrial cristae (c) size, and (d) length. (e) Percentage of abnormal cristae. N = 5–6 per group; each point represents the mean of 4–6 cells and of >5 mitochondria/cell for each subject. Data are presented as median, minimum, and maximum. *P < 0.05 in the post‐hoc test. Kruskal‐Wallis with the Dunn's post‐hoc was used to compare groups.

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  FIGURE 3. Mitochondrial protein content in in PBMCs. (a) Representative blots in control healthy subjects (CTRL), patients with non‐severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19), and patients with severe COVID‐19 (COVID‐19++). (b–e) quantification of the protein content of (b) Opa 1, (c) Mfn 2, (d) SDHB (complex II), and (e) ATP5A (complex V). N = 5–6 subjects per group. Data are presented as median, minimum, and maximum. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01 in the post‐hoc test. Kruskal‐Wallis with the Dunn's post‐hoc was used to compare groups.

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  FIGURE 4. Moderate‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sitting time. (a, c) comparison of the (a) level of MVPA, (b) proportion of physically active and inactive subjects, and (c) sitting time between patients with non‐severe (COVID‐19) and severe (COVID‐19++) COVID‐19. N = 5–6 subjects per group. Data are presented as median, minimum, and maximum, or percentages. Mann–Whitney U was used to compare MVPA and sitting time between groups. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the number of physically active subjects between the COVID‐19 and COVID‐19++ group.