Serum biotin in Japanese children: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement

Background Biotin deficiency has been reported in Japanese infants fed special formulas for medical reasons, including those with milk allergy and congenital metabolic diseases, because these formulas contain little biotin. Serum biotin measurement is useful for diagnosing biotin deficiency. We applied a simple and rapid method to analyze serum biotin, and established normal ranges for children and adults. Methods Serum biotin in 188 healthy Japanese children aged 0–4 years and in 25 healthy adults was analyzed using a Biotin ELISA Kit (immundiagnostik). The effects of various conditions on the measurement of serum biotin were also examined. Results Median biotin in children aged 0–4 years was 10.4 ng/dL (IQR, 7.9–13.4 ng/dL), and that in adults was 12.9 ng/dL (IQR, 10.8–15.8 ng/dL). Normal range was 4.7–22.0 ng/dL in children and 8.4–20.5 ng/dL in adults (calculated using two-sided 95%CI). Measurements obtained with this method were not affected by frozen storage, freeze–thaw, or hemolysis, indicating that serum biotin can be analyzed accurately under these conditions, with a possible application to plasma samples. Conclusions Serum biotin was significantly lower in children than in adults, with the normal range being 4.7–22.0 ng/dL in children and 8.4–20.5 ng/dL in adults. This simple and accurate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method is useful for diagnosing biotin deficiency.