Immunohistochemical expression of CD70 was assessed using the mouse monoclonal anti-CD70 2 F2 (IgG1, 0.16 μg/ml) antibody followed by a polyclonal goat anti-mouse/rabbit/rat IgG HRP-linker antibody conjugate (Brightvision, DPVO-110HRP; Immunologic, Duiven, the Netherlands) and DAB + Substrate Chromogen System (Dako) detection. All sections were examined with an Olympus BX41 microscope and Cell^B acquisition software (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan).
Immunofluorescent double-staining for CD3 and CD70 or CD3 and CD27 was performed with rabbit polyclonal anti-human CD3 (2.4 μg/ml; Dako), CD70 2 F2 and mouse monoclonal anti-human CD27 137B4 (IgG1, 1:200; Novocastra, Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany) followed by goat anti-rabbit Alexa 488 or goat anti-mouse IgG1 Alexa 546 (1:300; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). All sections were examined with a Leica DM5000 fluorescence microscope and LAS-AF acquisition program (Leica, Solms, Germany).