Kaplan-Meier survival curves of ESCC patients.

<p>(A) The 5-year overall survival rate of 168 ESCC patients was 30.26%. (B) The 5-year overall survival rates in ESCC patients with low (n = 124) and high 14-3-3σ protein (n = 44) were 25.62% and 43.47%, respectively, with a significant difference (<i>P</i> = 0.004). (C) The 5-year overall survival rates were 64.66%, 33.35% in ESCC patients with high (n = 24) and low expression (n = 73) of 14-3-3σ, respectively in early stage (I–II) ESCC; there was a significant difference in the overall survival rate between the two groups (<i>P</i> = 0.001). (D) No significant differences in 5-year survival rates were found between low levels (n = 45) and high levels (n = 14) of 14-3-3σ expression in ESCC patients with late clinical stage (III–IV, <i>P</i> = 0.328). (E) The 5-year overall survival rates in ESCC patients without lymph node metastasis were 61.28%, 32.54% in high (n = 26) and low levels (n = 71) of 14-3-3σ expression, respectively; there was a significant difference in the overall survival rate between the two groups (<i>P</i> = 0.002). (F) No significant differences in 5-year survival rates were found between low levels (n = 51) and high levels (n = 16) of 14-3-3σ expression in ESCC patients with lymph node metastasis (<i>P</i> = 0.542).