Why the study?
The relationship between inflammation and depressive symptoms in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy is unclear.
Are elevated levels of VEGF associated with depressive symptoms in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy?
Population
195 people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy
Comparison
Inflammation biomarker levels across depressive symptom groups
Design
Cohort study
Follow-up
18 months
Key result
Higher VEGF levels were significantly associated with high depressive symptoms in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (p=0.005 in covariate-adjusted models).
Authors
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VEGF may mark a depressive subtype in HIV on ART; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Cohort (n=195)
Are elevated levels of VEGF associated with depressive symptoms in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy?
p-value: p=0.005
VEGF is a stronger predictor of depressive symptoms than other inflammation markers in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, potentially identifying a specific depression subtype for targeted interventions.
Gabuzda et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in HIV with depressive symptoms (n=195). VEGF levels vs. Lower VEGF levels was evaluated on High depressive symptoms (assessed via BDI-II scores) (p=0.005). Higher VEGF levels were significantly associated with high depressive symptoms in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (p=0.005 in covariate-adjusted models).