May 28th – Heinz bodies are formed by damage and denaturing to the hemoglobin component of red blood cells, most commonly by oxidative stress, but also possibly by genetic abnormalities in hemoglobin. Typically, during oxidative damage to hemoglobin, an electron is transferred from the hemoglobin to oxygen, resulting in the formation of a reactive oxygen species (ROS). This ROS can lead to severe damage within the cells, and can even cause lysis of the entire cell. The ROS denatures portions of the hemoglobin, causing the to precipitate and produce Heinz Bodies, which becomes an antigenic agent. Thus, macrophages detect the antigen and remove the damaged portions of the cell, its damaged membrane and the denatured hemoglobin (now called the Heinz Body). Heinz bodies are almost always associated with oxidative damage to the red blood cell, and only rarely to genetic causes. So obviously then, the cause of Heinz Bodies would be something that causes increased oxidative stress to increase the likelihood of production of ROS in the blood cells. #365DaysOfMicroscopy
