Background: Hyperglycemia is common in acute stroke patients. Hyperglycemia can induce the production of reactive oxygen species, causing increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).
Aim: This study aimed to determine an association between the increased levels of MMP-9 and the incidence of hyperglycemia in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Methods: This is a case-control study. Acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to the Stroke Unit of a reference hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia was divided into the hyperglycemic and non-hyperglycemic group. Demographic and clinical characteristics of each subject were recorded, and blood levels of MMP-9 were measured. Seventy-one patients were recruited, 40 subjects in the hyperglycemic group and 31 subjects in the non-hyperglycemic group.
Results: The median levels of blood MMP-9 level in the hyperglycemic and non-hyperglycemic group were 974.37 and 748.48 ng/mL, respectively, and the difference was statistically not significant (95% CI, 191.24-2849.53; p = 0.07). When the calculated cut-off point of 600.99 ng/mL was used, the proportion of patients with higher MMP-9 levels was significantly more in the hyperglycemic group compared with the ones in the non-hyperglycemic group (82.5% and 54.8%, respectively; OR = 3.88; p = 0.011).
Conclusion: We concluded that the proportion of patients with MMP-9 level >600.99 ng/mL was significantly higher in acute ischemic stroke patients with hyperglycemia.
Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke; Hyperglycemia; Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).