Heinz Body

BLANZA & TANJILI

Heinz Bodies or Heinz-Erlich bodies

● Heinz bodies was first discovered by Dr.

Robert Heinz in 1890 and otherwise
known as Heinz-Erlich bodies, are clumps
of damaged hemoglobin located on red
blood cells.
● Heinz bodies on a blood smear
test indicates oxidative damage to the
hemoglobin in red blood cells.
 Characteristics
● Heinz bodies are, round, refractile
inclusions not visible in wright stained
film.
● They range from 1 – 3 um
● A single Heinz body appear large, but
when several are present in one cell, they
are small.
Staining Characteristics
● Best identified and seen at supravital staining.
● In a supravital preparation, it might be
confused with a reticulocyte.
● Round, discrete inclusion in contrast to the
reticular filamented material in a reticulocyte.
● Multiple Heinz-bodies may give a cell the
appearance of a pitted golf ball.
Bite Cell
● When a Heinz body is pitted from an erythrocyte, the
resulting cell may resemble a “bite cell” in which the
portion of the cell has been removed.
 Disease
Association
DISEASE ASSOCIATION

Glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase deficiency

Unstable Hemoglobin
Disorders

Oxidant drugs or
chemical Poisoning
 Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
deficiency
● G6PD deficiency is the most important
and most common cause of production
of Heinz Bodies

● G6PD as an enzyme is used in the

pentose phosphate (or HMP Shunt)
pathway.

● The loss of the G6PD enzyme increases

oxidative stress.
 Unstable Hemoglobin Disorders

● Mutant, unstable hemoglobins

precipitate as Heinz bodies in circulating
red blood cells.

● Resulting in congenital Heinz body

hemolytic anemia (CHBHA)

● Amino acid substitutions at sites

neighboring the heme group of the B-
polypeptide chain.
 Oxidant drugs or chemical

● Heinz bodies are produced in the blood

of normal person who have been
poisoned by aromatic nitro-compounds,
amino-compunds, and inorganic
oxidizing agents.

● Large doses of the drugs that cause

Heinz bodies, hemolysis is present.

● Acetaminophen, vitamin K1, propafol, and

phenothiazine drenches
 SUMMARY

Appearance Appearance Inclusion Associated

Inclusion in Supravital in Wright composed Disease/
Stain Stain of Condition

• G6PD
Deficiency
Round, dark
• Unstable
Heinz blue-purple Denatured
Not visible Hemoglobin
Body granule attached hemoglobin
disorders
to inner RBC
• Oxidant
drugs/chemicals
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