Mitochondrial bioenergetic profiling in T cell subsets associates with functional health in older adults: A cross-sectional analysis from the INSPIRE-T cohort

• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaf112
• Publication Date: 2025-05-20T16:23:06Z
• Authors: Nabila Jabrane-Fe...; Jérémy Raffin; Jordi Gouilly; Souad Najib; Anne-Laure Iscache; Catherine Marques; Julien Hall; Nathan Jolivet; Guillaume Combes; Nathalie Viguerie; Sébastien Dejean; Sophie Guyonnet; Yves Rolland; Cendrine Cabou; Bruno Vellas; Philipe de Souto ...; Laurent O Martinez; Hicham El Costa

Abstract Aging varies across individuals, highlighting the need for better markers of functional decline. This study investigates hypothesis that T cell energy metabolism is correlated with health in older adults. We used flow cytometry-based profiling to examine metabolism, focusing on mitochondrial OXPHOS activity (MitoDep, expressed as percentage), peripheral CD4 and CD8 subsets from 187 participants aged 70-89 years (mean age 78.7 [SD 5.3], 57.7% [n = 108] women) within Inspire-T cohort. Associations Fried frailty phenotype were evaluated, using logistic regression. Relationships intrinsic capacity (IC) score assessed partial least square regression (PLS) piecewise linear models, adjusting age, sex comorbidities. MitoDep was significantly lower prefrail/frail individuals (47% population) several cells subsets. In regulatory (CD4Treg) subsets, higher associated reduced odds prefrailty/frailty. Piecewise identified a breakpoint memory CD4Treg at 58.5% (95% CI, 50.7–67.5). Below this threshold, IC (β 0.40, p 0.0104). establishes novel link between adults, offering insights improved patient stratification personalized lifestyle or therapeutic interventions.