MMP9 and ischemic stroke: Thus, glutamate was measured as a marker of excitotoxic damage, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as markers of inflammatory response, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and cellular fibronectin (cFn) as markers of blood brain barrier disruption after ischemic stroke.