We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating serum or plasma levels of VEGF in patients with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis (FEP).
Symptoms of schizophrenia were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum VEGF levels.
Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) have been related to aging and neurodegeneration, but their role in schizophrenia remains uncertain.