Objective: Reliable molecular biomarkers for epilepsy have yet to be identified. The present study aims to evaluate the utility of serum metalloproteinase-3 as a diagnostic biomarker for epilepsy.
Methods: Serum MMP-3 levels were assessed in 227 individuals with epilepsy and 97 healthy control subjects. Individuals in the control group had no complaints or signs of any neurological disorder for at least 12months before serum collection. The Luminex FLEXMAP 3D assay was used to determine serum MMP-3 levels.
Results: Compared with controls, subjects with epilepsy had significantly lower serum MMP-3 concentrations (p<0.05). Serum MMP-3 concentrations were significantly higher in males than in females (p<0.001). Furthermore, Serum MMP-3 concentrations were strongly correlated with age in both epileptic and control groups. For these reasons, ROC curve analyses were performed in age-matched and gender matched groups. In the population aged 20-40years, when cut-off values of 23.87ng/ml and 12.31ng/ml were chosen for MMP-3 in males and females respectively, the sensitivity and specificity for patients with epilepsy versus controls were 72.22% and 76.67% for males, and 45% and 94.12% for females. And when cut-off MMP-3 concentrations of 20.70ng/ml and 10.92ng/ml were chosen for the ≥40years age group, the sensitivity and specificity to distinguish between epileptic and control subjects were 85.71% and 47.62% versus 85.62% and 100% for male and female groups, respectively.
Conclusions: MMP-3 is reduced in epilepsy patients compared to healthy controls. The potential of MMP-3 as an epilepsy biomarker is limited to certain age brackets and depends on the gender.
Keywords: Biomarker; Epilepsy; Metalloproteinase; Serum.
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