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Mitochondrial ultrastructure in cardiac myocytes is associated with the cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure
Elena A Kuzheleva, Alla A Garganeeva, Olga V Tukish, Ekaterina E Syromyatnikova, Department of Myocardial Pathology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634012, Russia
Author contributions: Kuzheleva EA contributed to the research concept, participated in all stages of data collection, statistical analysis, image processing, and drafted the manuscript; Garganeeva AA developed the research concept and design, supervised the study, critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content, and gave final approval of the version to be published; Tukish OV was involved in patient recruitment, data collection, and statistical analysis; Syromyatnikova EE performed patient recruitment and microphotograph processing; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: We have not used any AI tools or technologies to prepare this manuscript.
Supported by the Russian Science Foundation, No. 23-75-00009.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), approval No. 241.
Clinical trial registration statement: The protocol of this single-center prospective study was officially registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration Identifier: NCT05770349).
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study prior to their recruitment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.
Data sharing statement: Depersonalized dataset and microphotographs available from the corresponding author at kea@cardio-tomsk.ru.
Corresponding author: Elena A Kuzheleva, Senior Researcher, Department of Myocardial Pathology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kievskaya str, 111a, Tomsk 634012, Russia. kea@cardio-tomsk.ru
Received: June 22, 2026
Revised: July 28, 2026
Accepted: August 14, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 69 Days and 14.4 Hours
Revised: July 28, 2026
Accepted: August 14, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 69 Days and 14.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: A prospective observational study using electron microscopy of right atrial appendage cardiomyocytes in patients with heart failure and coronary artery disease who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting was conducted. It was shown that the internal ultrastructure of cardiomyocyte mitochondria, calculated as the ratio of the lengths of the outer and inner membranes, may be associated with the development of fatal outcome during a 12-month prospective follow-up.