Table 1. Correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and methylation status of selected genes in primary ESCC cases.

		N	HOXB2			NEFL			SLC15A3			OBSL1			miR-124-2
			cutoff =16.3			cutoff =21.3			cutoff =13			cutoff =12.6			cutoff =39
			Low	High	p-value	Low	High	p-value	Low	High	p-value	Low	High	p-value	Low	High	p-value
Total number		67	42	24	* total 66	43	24		32	35		33	34		25	42
Age
Average 65.6	<65	28	18	10	1.00	17	11	0.80	13	15	1.00	15	13	0.62	10	18	1.00
(46-83)	≧65	39	24	14		26	13		19	20		18	21		15	24
Gender
	Male	62	38	23	0.65	39	23	0.65	28	34	0.18	31	31	1.00	23	39	1.00
	Female	5	4	1		4	1		4	1		2	3		2	3
Histological grading
	GoodModerate	53	32	20	0.56	35	18	0.55	25	28	1.00	26	27	1.00	18	35	0.35
	Poor	14	10	4		8	6		7	7		7	7		7	7
TNM classification
pT category
	T1+2	7	3	4	0.25	4	3	0.69	4	3	0.70	5	2	0.26	0	7	0.0401
	T3+4	60	39	20		39	21		28	32		28	32		25	35
pN category
	N-	15	14	0	0.0011	14	1	0.0069	12	3	0.0073	12	3	0.0087	9	6	0.067
	N+	52	28	24		29	23		20	32		21	31		16	36
pM category
	M0	50	32	17	0.77	34	16	0.38	23	27	0.78	28	22	0.09	22	28	0.08
	M1	17	10	7		9	8		9	8		5	12		3	14
pStage
	I+II	15	12	2	0.07	14	1	0.0069	11	4	0.0388	12	3	0.0087	7	8	0.55
	III+IV	52	30	22		29	23		21	31		21	31		18	34