In the present study, transcriptome analysis identified 28 DE-TrpGs in ESCC compared with normal samples, including eight upregulated (STAT1, IL4I1, TDO2, NMNAT3, KMO, IDO1, OGDHL, and ACAT2) and 20 downregulated DE-TrpGs (ALDH9A1, ALDH3A2, ADH1B, AOX1, MAOA, ECHS1, ALDH2, ACAT1, HAAO, ALDH7A1, HADHA, MAOB, AKR1A1, CYP4X1, INMT, CYP2U1, CAT, HADH, NMNAT1, and UGT2B11). This evidence concerns the gene AKR1A1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.