Figure 2.

An outline of our current understanding of protein expression changes in multistep progression of ESCC. The "early" changes are those occurring at the transition from normal epithelia to mild and moderate DYS, the "intermediate" changes are those occurring at transition from mild and moderate DYS to severe DYS and CIS, and the "late" changes are those occurring at the transition from severe DYS and CIS to invasive lesions or at the transition from early stage ESCC to late stage. (1, normal epithelia/mucosa; 2 mild and moderate DYS; 3, severe DYS and CIS; 4, ESCC stage I; 5, ESCC stage IIA and IIB; 6, ESCC stage III and IV; ep, epithelium; lpm: lamina propria mucosa; mm: muscularis mucosa; sm: submucosa; mp, muscularis propria; LN, lymph node.)