Clinical Significance of Serum MMP-9, S100-β and GFAP in Patients with Mental Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Diagnosing psychiatric disorders following craniocerebral trauma primarily depends on clinical symptoms and neuropsychological evaluation, which can be subjective and limited. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), S100 calcium-binding protein /3 (S100-/3), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in post-traumatic mental disorders. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 108 patients with craniocerebral trauma admitted to Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine between January 2021 and December 2023. Patients were categorized into a post-traumatic mental disorder group (n = 68) and a simple craniocerebral trauma group (n = 40) according to whether they had mental disorders. Serum MMP-9, S100-/3, and GFAP levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared between the two groups. Logistic multivariate regression identified risk factors for post-traumatic mental disorders, while receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis assessed the predictive value of the biomarkers. Spearman correlation analysis examined the relationship between serum biomarkers and the presence of post- traumatic mental disorders. Results: Serum levels of MMP-9, S100-/3, and GFAP were significantly elevated in the post-traumatic mental disorder group compared to the simple traumatic brain injury group (p < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed that craniocerebral injury severity, family satisfaction, and serum levels of S100-/3 and GFAP were significant risk factors for post-traumatic mental disorders (p < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve for MMP-9, S100-/3, and GFAP were 0.768, 0.937, and 0.904, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum MMP-9, S100-/3 and GFAP were significantly positively correlated with the incidence of post-traumatic mental disorders (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The levels of MMP-9, S100-/3 and GFAP were abnormal in the serum of patients with craniocerebral trauma. These biomarkers hold significant diagnostic value in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.