Assessment of Some Platelet Activating Markers and Secretory Status with Clinical Manifestations in Multiple Sclerosis Iraqi Patients

Patients with Multiple sclerosis (MS) are presented with different degree of disability based on Expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Several studies reported that ABH non-secretors have higher prevalence in different auto-immune diseases, also platelets have a multi-form participation in development of MS. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the correlation of clinical manifestations in patients with platelet-activating factor (PAF), P-Selectin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and ABH secretor status. Fifty Iraqi patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were enrolled and divided into two subgroups; 36 of them with no disability (D0), their EDSS score ranging between 0-1.5, and the rest 14 patients with different degrees of disability (D+), their EDSS score ≥ 2. Along with patients, 20 healthy subjects were involved to act as a control group. Results showed significant elevation of PAF, P-Selectin, and MMP-9 levels in patients compared with those in the control group. However, only PAF level in D+ patients is significantly higher than D0 and positively correlated with duration of disease and serum level of MMP-9. Moreover, the frequency of non-secretors among RRMS patients is significantly higher than those in the control group and have a higher level of MMP-9, so may act as a risk factor for getting MS disease via increasing the serum level of MMP-9.