Transcriptional control of cardiac allograft vasculopathy by early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1).

Expression of the zinc finger transcription factor early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1) is triggered rapidly after mechanical vascular injury or after a precipitous drop in ambient oxygen, whereupon it induces the expression of diverse gene families to elicit a pathological response. Initially characterized as an early response transcriptional activator, the role of Egr-1 in more chronic forms of vascular injury remains to be defined. Studies were designed to examine whether Egr-1 induction may serve as a causal link between early preservation injury and delayed vascular consequences, such as coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV).