VIM and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: We first identified significant CR-1 upregulation in surgically excised ESCC tumors from 41 ESCC patients and 41 healthy controls and demonstrated that CR-1 protein expression was positively correlated with nodal metastasis, distal metastasis, and clinical stage—this CR-1 upregulation was statistically correlated with the EMT state markers E-cad downregulation, N-cad upregulation, and Vim upregulation.