VEGFA and bacterial meningitis: BBB dysfunction is widely considered a hallmark of the pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis [38], and several inflammatory-related mediators, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-α, nitric oxide, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), have all been implicated in BBB disruption [39–42].