Langhans giant cells (LGC) aregiant cells found ingranulomatous conditions.
They are formed by the fusion ofepithelioid cells (macrophages), and containnuclei arranged in a horseshoe-shaped pattern in the cell periphery.[1]
Although traditionally their presence was associated withtuberculosis, they are not specific for tuberculosis or even for mycobacterial disease. In fact, they are found in nearly every form of granulomatous disease, regardless of etiology.
Langhans giant cells are named afterTheodor Langhans (1839–1915), a German pathologist.[2]
In 2012, a research paper showed that when activated CD4+ T cells andmonocytes are in close contact, interaction ofCD40-CD40L between these two cells and subsequentIFNγ secretion by the T cells causes upregulation and secretion of fusion-related moleculeDC-STAMP (dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein) by the monocytes, which results in LGC formation.[3]
Langhans giant cells are often found in transbronchial lung biopsies or lymph node biopsies in patients withsarcoidosis.[4] They are also commonly found in tuberculous granulomas of tuberculosis.[5]
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