NF‐κB, as a main transcription factor, is activated in patients with acute and chronic HE and promotes swelling of astrocytes and brain edema, regulating inflammatory mediators such as TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and iNOS and apoptotic factors Bax and Bcl2, which are involved in neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death in brain injury [22, 94–96]. The gene discussed is NOS2; the disease is hereditary elliptocytosis.