Figure 7d shows PLCE1 expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database of 198 collected clinical esophageal carcinoma samples correlated positively with IKKα expression (r = 0.523, P = 2.8E-15) and IKKβ expression (r = 0.229, P = 0.001) and negatively with IκBα expression (r = − 0.177, P = 0.013). This evidence concerns the gene IKBKB and carcinoma of esophagus.