Certain immune markers are not good indicators of mild to moderate biotin deficiency in rats. J Nutr 2001 Dec;131(12):3231-6
Date
12/12/2001Pubmed ID
11739872DOI
10.1093/jn/131.12.3231Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0035209336 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 5 CitationsAbstract
To assess the effects of marginal biotin deficiency on immune function and thereby evaluate immune function as a potential marker for impaired biotin status, we investigated immune function in a rat model during progression from sufficiency to moderate biotin deficiency. As immune function indicators, we assessed the IgG response to a vaccine and the cytokine responses and relative proportions of lymphocyte subpopulations in the immunocytes in blood, spleen and thymus. Neither phenotype nor organ redistribution of lymphocytes differed between biotin-deficient and biotin-sufficient rats. Assessment of immune function by mitogen T cell proliferation, mitogen-induced interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 levels, IgG antibody responses and natural killer cell activity were not significantly different in mild to moderately biotin-deficient rats compared with biotin-sufficient controls. The absence of effects on immune function was not attributable to failure to induce biotin deficiency; the rats exhibited unequivocal evidence of biotin deficiency, including reduced hepatic biotin and impaired leucine metabolism resulting from deficiency of the biotin-dependent enzyme methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase. We conclude that the immune markers examined are not promising candidates as indicators of mild to moderate deficiency in humans.
Author List
Helm RM, Mock NI, Simpson P, Mock DMAuthor
Pippa M. Simpson PhD Adjunct Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsBiomarkers
Biotin
Carbon-Carbon Ligases
Cell Division
Cells, Cultured
Cytokines
Haemophilus Vaccines
Immunoglobulin G
Interferon-gamma
Interleukin-4
Killer Cells, Natural
Leukocytes, Mononuclear
Liver
Lymphocyte Activation
Lymphocyte Subsets
Lymphocytes
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Spleen
Thymus Gland
Valerates
