Scoring system used in our study
| Staining criteria | Score and criteria for scoring | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA, not applicable. | ||||
| Staining intensity | 0 (no staining) | 1 (weak staining) | 2 (moderate staining) | 3 (strong staining) |
| Uniformity of staining | 0 (not uniform throughout) | 1 (uniform throughout) | NA | NA |
| Specificity of staining | 0 (non-specific staining present) | 1 (only specific staining present) | NA | NA |
| Absence of background staining | 0 (excessive background staining that interferes with interpretation) | 1 (background staining present but does not interfere with interpretation) | 2 (no background staining present) | NA |
| Counterstaining | 0 (inadequate) | 1 (adequate) | NA | NA |