Biotin: From Nutrition to Therapeutics

Area of Science:

• Nutritional biochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Reproductive health

Background:

• Symptomatic biotin deficiency is rare, but marginal deficiency may affect many pregnant women.
• Marginal biotin deficiency during pregnancy might elevate the risk of birth defects.
• Biotin plays crucial roles in gene expression and cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advances in assessing biotin status.
• To examine biotin status during pregnancy.
• To explore biotin's role in gene expression and novel therapeutic applications.
• To highlight potential interferences of high biotin intake with clinical assays.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent studies on biotin status assessment.
• Analysis of research on biotin's role in gene expression.
• Examination of studies on biotin supplementation for multiple sclerosis.
• Evaluation of literature on biotin interference with clinical assays.

Main Results:

• Advances in assessing biotin status, including acylcarnitine excretion.
• Evidence suggests marginal biotin deficiency is common in pregnancy.
• High biotin intake can cause erroneous results in clinical assays using streptavidin-biotin technology.

Conclusions:

• Marginal biotin deficiency in pregnancy warrants further investigation due to potential risks.
• Understanding biotin's diverse roles is crucial for health and therapeutic applications.
• Awareness of biotin interference with lab tests is essential for patient safety.