In conclusion, the current results suggest that three HLA class I APMs (HLA-HC, β2 microglobulin, and TAP-1) are correlated with postoperative survival in esophageal cancer, and that the down-regulation of HLA-HC in tumors is associated with a poor prognosis among stages III and IV esophageal cancer patients. The gene discussed is HLA-G; the disease is esophageal cancer.