SOD2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Moreover, our data show that similar mitochondrial changes are present in bronchial epithelium from severe ex-smoking COPD patients in comparison to healthy controls, with depletion of cristae, increased branching, elongation and swelling of the mitochondria, increased Mn-SOD, PINK1 and PPARGC1α, but not OPA1 mRNA expression and increased OXPHOS Complex VF1α levels.