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Smoking accelerates biotin catabolism in women^2,3

¹ From the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (WMS, SLS, and DMM), Dietetics and Nutrition (AMT), and Pediatrics (DMM), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.

Background: Smoking accelerates the degradation of many nutrients, including lipids, antioxidants, and certain B vitamins. Accelerated biotin catabolism is of concern in women because marginal biotin deficiency is teratogenic in mammals.

Objective: The objective was to assess the effect of smoking on the biotin status of women.

Design: A preliminary study of 7 women and 3 men examined the urinary concentrations of biotin and its metabolites biotin sulfoxide and bisnorbiotin in smokers. The interpretation of the results of this study was limited by the lack of a contemporaneous control group; consequently, we conducted a cohort-controlled study. Smoking women (n = 8) and nonsmoking control subjects (n = 15) provided 24-h urine samples; excretion rates of biotin, the biotin metabolites, and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid were determined. Increased urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, which reflects a reduced activity of the biotin-dependent enzyme 3-methylcrotonyl-Co A carboxylase, is a sensitive indicator of biotin depletion at the tissue level.

Results: Compared with control subjects from previous studies, the smoking women in the preliminary study excreted significantly less urinary biotin (P = 0.02). Moreover, the ratio of urinary biotin sulfoxide to biotin increased (P = 0.04) in these women. In the cohort-controlled study, the urinary excretion of biotin decreased by 30% (P = 0.04), and the ratios of urinary bisnorbiotin and biotin sulfoxide to biotin increased significantly, which indicated accelerated catabolism in smokers. Moreover, the urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid was greater in the smokers than in the control subjects (P = 0.04), which indicated biotin depletion in the smokers at the tissue level.

Conclusion: These data provide evidence of accelerated biotin metabolism in smoking women, which results in marginal biotin deficiency.

Key Words: Biotin • biotin catabolism • smoking • 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid • bisnorbiotin • biotin sulfoxide

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				S. L Stratton, A. Bogusiewicz, M. M Mock, N. I Mock, A. M Wells, and D. M Mock Lymphocyte propionyl-CoA carboxylase and its activation by biotin are sensitive indicators of marginal biotin deficiency in humans. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2006; 84(2): 384 - 388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]