Evaluation of MMP-9 enzyme in drug-induced suicide cases admitted to the emergency room

Objective: This study investigates MMP-9 enzyme levels in patients who attempted suicide by taking high doses of drugs, considering their sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: The study included 45 patients who attempted suicide by high-dose drug intake admitted to the emergency room and 45 healthy volunteers with no neuropsychiatric disorders. Blood samples were collected to measure MMP-9 levels, and informed consent was obtained. The samples were centrifuged and analyzed using the ELISA method, with results statistically compared. Results: Findings indicate that being single and a student significantly increased suicide tendencies (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively). Psychiatric disorders were the most common cause at 40.0%, followed by antidepressants (55.6%), analgesics (20.0%), and antidiabetics (8.9%) as the most used drugs for suicide. MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in patients who attempted suicide compared to controls (83.74 (±7.14) ng/mL vs. 54.97 (±12.27) ng/mL, p = 0.001). Additionally, MMP-9 levels were higher in single patients compared to married or divorced individuals (p = 0.008). MMP-9 levels were lower in patients with psychiatric disorders, recent psychiatric services, family history of psychiatric disorders, and previous suicide attempts (p = 0.014, p = 0.046, p = 0.035, p = 0.034). Conclusions: This study shows MMP-9 enzyme can be a potential biomarker for drug-induced suicide attempts, emphasizing the importance of evaluating MMP-9 levels to assess suicide risk and develop prevention strategies.