Table 1.

Expression levels of MT2A in human ESCC tissues and their correlation with clinicopathological features.

Variable	Expression of MT2A in Cancer Stroma 1				Expression of MT2A in Cancer Nest 1
	Number of Cases	Low	High		Number of Cases	Low	High
		(n = 43)	(n = 26)	p-Value		(n = 31)	(n = 38)	p-Value
Age
<65	32	20	12	0.997	32	13	19	0.504
≥65	37	23	14		37	18	19
Sex
Male	14	8	6	0.654	14	6	8	0.862
Female	55	35	20		55	25	30
Histological grade 2
HGIEN + WDSCC	15	11	4	0.320	15	8	7	0.459
MDSCC + PDSCC	54	32	22		54	23	31
Depth of tumor invasion 2
T1	48	36	12	0.001 **	48	25	23	0.071
T2+T3	21	7	14		21	6	15
Lymphatic vessel invasion 2
Negative	37	31	6	<0.001 ***	37	19	18	0.249
Positive	32	12	20		32	12	20
Blood vessel invasion 2
Negative	43	32	11	0.008 **	43	20	23	0.734
Positive	26	11	15		26	11	15
Lymph node metastasis 2
Negative	43	31	12	0.031 *	43	22	21	0.181
Positive	26	12	14		26	9	17
Stage 3
0 + I	38	28	10	0.031 *	38	19	19	0.348
II + III + IV	31	15	16		31	12	19
Expression of αSMA 4
Low	36	31	5	<0.001 ***	36	16	20	0.933
High	33	12	21		33	15	18
Expression of FAP 4
Low	39	33	6	<0.001 ***	39	19	20	0.470
High	30	10	20		30	12	18
Expression of CD163 5
Low	34	27	7	0.004 **	34	16	18	0.726
High	35	16	19		35	15	20
Expression of CD204 5
Low	34	31	3	<0.001 ***	34	16	18	0.726
High	35	12	23		35	15	20

Data were analyzed by χ²-test; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant: * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001. ¹ The ESCC tissues were divided into two groups (high- and low-) based on the immunoreactivity intensity of MT2A in cancer stroma or cancer nest. ² Based on the Japanese Classification of Esophageal Cancer 10th ed [21]. HGIEN, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia; WDSCC, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; MDSCC, moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; PDSCC, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. T1, tumor invades mucosa and submucosa; T2, tumor invades muscularis propria; T3, tumor invades adventitia. ³ Based on the TNM classification 7th ed. by UICC [22]. ⁴ Immunoreactivity at the invasive front of ESCC was classified based on the staining area (high: >30%; low: ≤30%) [16]. ⁵ The median of CD163⁺ or CD204⁺ macrophage counts in cancer nests and stroma within the areas were used to classify the patients as low- and high-groups [24].