GROWTH-BEHAVIOR AND LINEAGE OF ISOLATED AND CULTURED-CELLS DERIVED FROM GIANT-CELL GRANULOMA OF THE MANDIBLE

A central giant cell granuloma of the [human] mandible was fractionated into its mononuclear and multinuclear cellular constituents. The cells were subsequently grown in tissue culture. Sections from the original lesion and the cultured cells were analyzed histochemically and immunocytochemically. Acid phosphatase, nonspecific esterase, lysozyme and .alpha.-1-antitrypsin were employed as markers for cells of histiocytic origin and factor VIII-related antigen served as an endothelial cell marker. The mononuclear cells were of 2 types: a spindle-shaped cell and a round macrophage-like cell. The giant cells and the macrophage-like cells had a limited life span in culture and survived for up to 2 and 5 wk, respectively. However, the spindle-shaped cells continued to proliferate with a doubling time of 48 h. The giant cells and the macrophage-like cells were identical in their staining characteristics and showed positive staining for all the histiocytic markers tested. In contrast, the spindle-shaped cells were negative for those markers. None of the 3 cell types stained positively for factor VIII-related antigen. The giant cells in giant cell granuloma of the jaw apparently are reactive, fully differentiated end-cells that are probably derived from stromal macrophages. The histogenesis of the spindle-shaped cell is not yet known. The histochemical and in vitro growth characteristics of the cells of central giant cell granuloma of the mandible evidently are analogous to those of giant cell tumors of long bones.