Study of the influence of heme oxygenase 1 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2071746) on esophageal varices among patients with cirrhosis.

Introduction: Cirrhosis as a pathological term has some criteria known to be common in all cases of liver cirrhosis. Esophageal varices are portosystemic collaterals arising in the submucosa of the lower esophagus because of portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is defined as hepatic venous pressure gradient greater than 5 mmHg that arises often as a sequelae of mesenchymal dysfunction in a cirrhotic liver.