There are all kinds of drug interactions and drug interferences that take place within the medical sector. The majority of the main drug interactions result from an alteration in the absorption, metabolism, or elimination of a drug. These interactions may also occur when two drugs that have addictive effects or canceling effects on the body are administered simultaneously.
Perhaps one of the most common types of drug interaction that can lead to testing issues is biotin interference. Biotin in blood or other samples were taken from patients who are ingesting high levels of biotin in dietary supplements can actually lead to clinically significant incorrect lab testing results. In short, biotin levels higher than the recommended daily allowance may cause biotin interference with labs.
Recently, biotin nutritional supplements have been promoted for skin and hair benefits and for conditions such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Individuals are taking supplemental biotin from about 20 mg/day to as much as 300 mg/day with serum biotin concentrations up to 1200 ng/mL. Since biotin binds to streptavidin with high affinity, any elevated concentration of biotin can lead to major inconsistences and interferences. An addition report found that daily biotin supplementation of only 10 mg resulted in interference with several immunoassays and potential misdiagnosis of thyroid disorders and congestive heart failure.
If you’re concerned with drug interference within a medical or scientific sector, it’s important to reach out to professionals who can provide concentrated biotin material for interference tests and experiments. Doing so will prevent all kinds of issues down the line and lead to much more accurate and consistent tests. Additionally, there are hardworking professionals researching and developing a biotin clearing reagent and a new procedure to remove/prevent biotin interference:
The new specimen is paired with a deglycosylated type of avidin inside a microcentrifuge tube equipped with a filter insert, vortexed, and centrifuged. The biotin is then bound strongly to the NeutrAvidin-coated beads and retained to the filter. And the filtrate, which is collected at the bottom of the tube, is then ready for accurate analyses.
If you’re worried about medical and scientific accuracy when working with biotin, make sure you’re working with professionals who understand the importance of preventing drug interferences — and good luck!
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