Decreased Complex I Activity in Blood lymphocytes Correlates with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Severity.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease linked to aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction in circulating T cells, often caused by disruption of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), may play a role in age-related conditions like IPF. In our previous study, we found high mtDNA mutational loads in blood lymphocytes from IPF patients, especially in regions critical for mtDNA expression.