Foreign-body giant cell

Histopathologic image of aspiration pneumonia in an elderly patient with debilitating neurologic illness. Note foreign-body giant cell reaction. Autopsy case. H & E stain.

A foreign-body giant cell is a collection of fused macrophages (giant cell) which are generated in response to the presence of a large foreign body. This is particularly evident with catheters, parasites, or biomaterials that are inserted into the body for replacement or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues.[1][2] Foreign body giant cells are also produced to digest foreign material that is too large for phagocytosis.[3] The inflammatory process that creates these cells often leads to a foreign body granuloma.

The human body goes through several steps when exposed to foreign biomaterial including acute and chronic inflammation, and formation of new tissue and a fibrous capsule along the surface of the implantation.[1] Foreign body reactions, which are a type of chronic inflammation, are characterized by the presence of macrophages, monocytes, and foreign-body giant cells (FBGCs).[1][4] The response of the foreign body reaction determines how compatible the implanted material will be in the body, and the members of the foreign body reaction, including the FBGC's, remain along the surface of the biomaterial for its lifetime in the body.[1]

Foreign body giant cells are formed through signaling from IL-4 and IL-13, and may fuse to produce a multinucleated cell with up to 200 nuclei within its cytoplasm.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d Sheikh, Zeeshan; Brooks, Patricia J.; Barzilay, Oriyah; Fine, Noah; Glogauer, Michael (2015-08-28). "Macrophages, Foreign Body Giant Cells and Their Response to Implantable Biomaterials". Materials. 8 (9): 5671–5701. Bibcode:2015Mate....8.5671S. doi:10.3390/ma8095269. ISSN 1996-1944. PMC 5512621. PMID 28793529.
  2. ^ Miyamoto, Takeshi (2013-07-01). "STATs and macrophage fusion". JAK-STAT. 2 (3): e24777. doi:10.4161/jkst.24777. ISSN 2162-3988. PMC 3772113. PMID 24069561.
  3. ^ Brodbeck, William G.; Anderson, James M. (2010). "Giant cell formation and function". Current Opinion in Hematology. 16 (1): 53–57. doi:10.1097/MOH.0b013e32831ac52e. ISSN 1065-6251. PMC 2679387. PMID 19057205.
  4. ^ Anderson, James M.; Rodriguez, Analiz; Chang, David T. (2008). "Foreign body reaction to biomaterials". Seminars in Immunology. 20 (2): 86–100. doi:10.1016/j.smim.2007.11.004. ISSN 1044-5323. PMC 2327202. PMID 18162407.
  5. ^ Brooks, Patricia; Glogauer, Michael; McCulloch, Christopher (2019). "An Overview of the Derivation and Function of Multinucleated Giant Cells and Their Role in Pathological Processes". American Journal of Pathology. 189 (6): 1145–1158. doi:10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.02.006. PMID 30926333 – via Elsevier Science Direct.