EGR1 and endothelial dysfunction: The damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) ligands of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) may exacerbate the local responses to infection in the heart, leading to severe cell stress and death, which in turn result in endothelial dysfunction, immune cell activation, oxidative stress, and upregulation of distinct factors such as early growth response 1 (EGR1).