To explore the effects of edaravone on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) posterior to cerebral hemorrhage, and to analyze the relationship between this expression and neurological deficit.A total of 160 basal ganglia hemorrhage patients enrolled in Dongfeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China between April 2009 and July 2011 were included and divided into a treatment group and a control group (n=80). All patients were treated with minimally invasive hematoma evacuation, and the treatment group was administered with edaravone simultaneously. Serum MMP-9 levels were measured by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Glasgow Coma Scale scores of the 2 groups were determined before and after treatment.The overall effective rates of the treatment (86.3%) and control (75.0%) groups differed significantly (p<0.05). The serum MMP-9 levels of the 2 groups that were similar (p>0.05) before treatment significantly decreased (p<0.05) after treatment, and those of the 2 groups also differed significantly (p<0.05). The NIHSS scores of the 2 groups that were similar (p>0.05) before treatment also significantly decreased (p<0.05) after treatment, and those of the 2 groups differed significantly (p<0.05). Pearson`s correlation analysis revealed that the level of serum MMP-9 was significantly correlated with the NIHSS score before treatment (R=0.491).Combined minimally invasive hematoma evacuation and edaravone effectively treated cerebral hemorrhage by directly lowering the level of serum MMP-9.
