Objectives: To investigate the brain inflammation and damage in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were determined in SSPE patients.
Methods: CSF MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were measured in 23 patients with SSPE in Papua New Guinea by ELISA.
Results: CSF MMP-9 levels and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios of SSPE patients were significantly higher than controls (p<0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). There were no significant differences in CSF TIMP-1 levels between SSPE patients and controls.
Conclusions: Previous studies suggested that CSF MMP-9 levels reflect inflammatory damage to the brain. Our findings suggest that the MMP-9 level in CSF is an indicator of inflammatory damage to the brain in SSPE.