Blood, 1960, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 1722-1735.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Studies on the Formation of Heinz Bodies. I. Methemoglobin
Production and Oxyhemoglobin Destruction
JOHN D. HARLEY 1 and
ALVIN M. MAUER 1
1 Children's Hospital Research Foundation and the Department of Pediatrics,
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
A study of the changes in hemoglobin of erythrocytes incubated with various
test substances has been reported. The concentrations of oxyhemoglobin and
methemoglobin in these erythrocytes were measured and the term "intact"
hemoglobin was introduced, in order to distinguish these pigments from later
degradation products of hemoglobin. Certain agents which are known to cause
Heinz body formation and erythrocyte destruction in vivo have been shown to
cause methemoglobin formation and "intact" hemoglobin destruction in vitro,
and some of these agents were also shown to produce these changes in vivo.
The possible significance of these findings in relation to the role of methemoglobin formation in Heinz body production has been discussed.
Submitted on May 26, 1960
Accepted on September 13, 1960
