Fig. 2

Types and characteristics of multinucleated giant cells. a Types of multinucleated giant cells: Langhans giant cells, found in granulomatous conditions such as tuberculosis and sarcoidosis, have nuclei arranged in a horseshoe pattern. Foreign body giant cells, formed in response to foreign materials, have randomly distributed nuclei within the cytoplasm. Osteoclasts, involved in bone resorption, are characterized by their large size and multiple nuclei. b In vitro differentiation of multinucleated giant cells: Macrophages can differentiate into different types of giant cells when stimulated with specific cytokines. IFN-γ stimulation leads to the formation of Langhans giant cells. IL-4 stimulation results in the differentiation of macrophages into foreign body giant cells. RANKL induces the formation of osteoclasts, which are involved in bone resorption