Freeze-fracture study of the red cells and red cell precursors of a patient with congenital inclusion body anaemia.

Comparison of thin sections and freeze fracture replicas of red cells and red cell precursors from the peripheral blood of a patient suffering from congenital inclusion body anaemia provided new morphological information on Heinz body substructure, Heinz body-membrane attachment, intracellular membrane formation, as well as on membrane fusion and orientation of intracellular membranes. It is suggested that the fusion of autophagic vacuoles with the plasma membrane may contribute to the increased haemolysis of red cells in inclusion body anaemia.