Matrix Metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10)
Definition
A zinc-dependent endopeptidase present in menstrual blood but not in peripheral blood. The principal marker used in lateral-flow assays designed to distinguish menstrual blood from other blood types in forensic samples.
- Enzyme type
- Zinc-dependent endopeptidase
- Present in
- Menstrual blood
- Absent from
- Peripheral blood
- Detection method
- Lateral-flow immunoassay
Common questions
Why is a lateral-flow format used for this marker in casework?+
Lateral-flow assays give a rapid, low-cost presumptive result at the point of examination without needing laboratory instrumentation, which suits screening bloodstains before committing samples to slower confirmatory testing.
How does this test relate to identifying vaginal secretions and urine?+
It is one of several immunological tests in a broader panel used to characterise body fluids on an item, each targeting a fluid-specific protein, so MMP-10 specifically addresses whether recovered blood is menstrual in origin.
Related terms
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- Dermcidin
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- Human Leucocyte Elastase (HLE)
- A serine protease secreted by vaginal epithelial cells and leucocytes. The primary immunological target for forensic identification of vaginal secretions, detected using...
- Lateral-Flow Immunoassay (LFIA)
- A rapid immunological test format using a nitrocellulose membrane strip. An extracted sample migrates by capillary action past antibody-conjugate and capture zones,...
- Tamm-Horsfall Protein (Uromodulin)
- The most abundant protein in normal human urine, secreted exclusively by cells of the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop in the...