On the other hand, NOTCH pathway (NOTCH3), Hedgehog pathway (GLI3), WNT pathway (SFRP2, WNT5A, FZD6/10) were upregulated characteristically in ESCC (Fig. 4), which was consistent with the alterations observed in previous study [12]. This evidence concerns the gene GLI3 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.