HIV-specific CD8⁺ T cells are selectively characterized by extensive MM. (A) Representative flow cytometry showing ex vivo MM in HIV-specific and total CD8⁺ T cells from 1 HIV⁺ patient and a healthy donor. Cells were gated first for lymphocytes by forward and side light scatter and then for HIV-specific and total CD8⁺ T cells by tetramer and CD8 staining. (B) Pooled data showing the percentage (%) of CD8⁺ T cells expressing high MM in total CD8⁺ T cells from healthy donors (□; n = 14), HIV⁺ patients (•; n = 40), and HIV-specific (▵; n = 15) and CMV-specific (♦) CD8⁺ T cells from HIV⁺ patients (n = 13) (top panel). Horizontal lines depict mean values. Analysis of corresponding MFI values of MitoTracker staining is also shown (bottom panel). The P values were calculated using Student t test.