SPECIMEN: Sample should arrive at the same day of collect., for the laboratory to do a fresh and incubated Heinz Bodies Test.
REFERENCE INTERVAL:
Fresh: None detected
Incubated: None detected
Reported as:
INTERPRETATION:
Room Temperature Heinz Bodies:
Indicate that the patient has preformed Heinz bodies in vivo that have not been removed by the spleen. If however the patient has good splenic activity, the room temperature incubation may be negative, therefore an incubated Heinz body stain is performed.
Incubated Heinz Bodies:
If the patient has undergone oxidant stress, incubation of the blood overnight at 37 degrees Celsius will force new Heinz body formation in vitro.
- Heinz bodies may be produced in the red cell by the action of a wide range of aromatic nitro and amino compounds as well as by inorganic oxidising agents. The presence of Heinz bodies is typically a sign of chemical poisoning. Heinz bodies also occur in hereditary haemolytic anaemias associated with the presence of unstable haemoglobins, also G6PD deficiency in crisis. Furthermore, there are haemoglobin variants which give rise to intracellular inclusions as the result of drug action in doses which do not cause Heinz body formation with normal haemoglobin.
Test performed on weekdays.
For further information contact the Special Haematology laboratory (Ext 22065) or:
| Dr Anna Ruskova | Ext 22137 | |
| Dr Louisa Stone | Ext 22062 | |
| Dr Nikhil Rabade | Ext 22071 | |
| Dr Peter Bradbeer | Ext 22062 |
- When induced by chemical action, the inclusions are not usually found in a high proportion of the red cell unless the patient has previously been splenectomised.
- When due to the presence of an unstable haemoglobin, the inclusions often do not appear in the red cells except after splenectomy. e.g. Hb Zurich. Nevertheless, the inclusions in a patient with an unstable Hb will develop in vitro when presplenectomy blood is incubated for 24-48 hours.