Certain oxidant drugs can denature hemoglobin and cause the production of round structures in erythrocytes that are called:

• A. Howell-Jolly body
• B. Dohle bodies
• C. Heinz bodies
• D. Russell bodies

Answer: (C)

Oxidative stress from certain drugs denatures hemoglobin and causes it to precipitate inside red blood cells. The resulting precipitate forms round inclusions attached to the inner surface of the cell membrane, known as Heinz bodies. They’re best seen with supravital stains (like new methylene blue) and indicate that the red cells have undergone oxidative damage; the body’s spleen may remove them, sometimes leaving behind bite cells.

Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants of red blood cells, seen in cases of decreased splenic function. Dohle bodies are basophilic inclusions in neutrophils, associated with inflammation or infection. Russell bodies are eosinophilic immunoglobulin-filled inclusions inside plasma cells.