Biotin interference can cause false-negative specific IgE results in patients with anaphylaxis

Abstract

Biotin is essential for human metabolism. Normal plasma biotin concentrations range from 0.1 to 0.8 ng/mL in adults consuming the recommended daily dietary dose of 30 μg.1 The regular use of biotin-rich supplements has substantially increased among the general US adult population over the years, reaching a prevalence of 2.8% in 2016.2 In outpatients, an even higher prevalence was noted (7.7%), whereas the same study revealed that 7.4% of patients in emergency departments presented with elevated plasma biotin levels above 10 ng/mL.