title: Marginal biotin deficiency can be induced experimentally in humans using a cost-effective outpatient design.
abstract: To date, marginal, asymptomatic biotin deficiency has been successfully induced experimentally by the use of labor-intensive inpatient designs requiring rigorous dietary control. We sought to determine if marginal biotin deficiency could be induced in humans in a less expensive outpatient design incorporating a self-selected, mixed general diet. We sought to examine the efficacy of three outpatient study designs: two based on oral avidin dosing and one based on a diet high in undenatured egg white for a period of 28 d. In study design 1, participants (n = 4; 3 women) received avidin in capsules with a biotin binding capacity of 7 times the estimated dietary biotin intake of a typical self-selected diet. In study design 2, participants (n = 2; 2 women) received double the amount of avidin capsules (14 times the estimated dietary biotin intake). In study design 3, participants (n = 5; 3 women) consumed egg-white beverages containing avidin with a biotin binding capacity of 7 times the estimated dietary biotin intake. Established indices of biotin status [lymphocyte propionyl-CoA carboxylase activity; urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, 3-hydroxyisovaleryl carnitine (3HIA-carnitine), and biotin; and plasma concentration of 3HIA-carnitine] indicated that study designs 1 and 2 were not effective in inducing marginal biotin deficiency, but study design 3 was as effective as previous inpatient study designs that induced deficiency by egg-white beverage. Marginal biotin deficiency can be induced experimentally by using a cost-effective outpatient design by avidin delivery in egg-white beverages. This design should be useful to the broader nutritional research community.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Shawna L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.forename: Cindy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Henrich
authors.forename: Nell I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogusiewicz
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Suzanne N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.forename: Jeffery H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000172:deficiency*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010045:Outpatients
chemical_list: D001710:Biotin