Mitochondrial function of peripheral lymphocytes: role on multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes

Upon PHA-stimulation, PMS patients displayed decreased basal, maximal, ATP-linked respiration, and reduced spare respiratory and glycolytic capacities, compared to RRMS and HC, mirroring opposed trends in unstimulated conditions. These findings suggest a severity gradient across MS clinical forms, supporting a disease continuum rather than strictly defined subtypes. The central role of unresolved mitochondrial dysfunction in MS warrants further investigation and may guide novel therapeutic strategies.