606 BIOTIN 



been pointed out by several ()l)servers.''^' ^^"^^ Leiner's disease is seen often 

 in breast-fed infants, frecjiiently in association with persistent diarrhea. 

 The relatively low biotin content of human milk (p. oiK)), together with 

 possible secondary loss of biotin due to the diarrhea, and perhaps also the 

 changed intestinal flora, have been linked with possible biotin deficiency 

 in this pathological condition. It has been also stated*"* • *^ that the urinary 

 excretion of biotin is reduced in infants with seborrheic dermatitis com- 

 pared with normal infants or with infants showing eczematous cutaneous 

 lesions. The saturation test with biotin seemed to indicate a state of biotin 

 depletion in infants with seborrheic dermatitis. ^"^ Finally, it has been 

 claimed that seborrheic dermatitis and even Leiner's disease is beneficially 

 influenced by biotin.**"*^ However, it should be pointed out that neither 

 the above metabolic findings nor these therapeutic results ha\'e received 

 confirmation on a larger scale. As a matter of fact, in the observation of the 

 author (unpublished) biotin appeared to be without any uniformly regular 

 beneficial effect in seborrheic dermatitis or in Leiner's disease. The pos- 

 itive results recorded •^^-^'^ might have been purely coincidental. Thus, the 

 relation of biotin to seborrheic dermatitis in infants and children, and 

 in general the indications for its use in any cutaneous disease in man, 

 remain obscure. 



L FAT INFILTRATIOX OF THE LIVER 



It has been claimed that biotin produces a fatty liver characterized by 

 a relatively high content of cholesterol"' ^^ and that "choline has no appre- 

 ciable effect in preventing biotin fatty livers."*''' ^^ In contrast, both inositol 

 and lipocaic counteracted this type of fat depositions.*^ Later this statement 

 was modified, and at least partial response to choline was admitted.*'' In 

 these experiments "the biotin fatty liver" was induced in rats after a 

 preliminary period of vitamin depletion followed by administration of 

 biotin. Best and his associates^- have called attention to the fact that 

 vitamin depletion during the preliminary period was apparently less im- 

 portant than a lowered caloric intake which accompanies withdrawal 



" A. Brown, Glascjuw Med. J. 29, 309 (194S). 



" J. Svejcar and J. Homolka, Ann. Paediut. 174, 175 (1950). 



56 V. Tripputi, Latiantc 21, 7S (1950); cf. Xiitrition .\b.^tr. i<: h'tr.^. 20, 459 (1950>. 



56 H. Berger, Intern. Z. Vitaniinfor.seh. 22, 190 (1950). 



" E. W. McHenry and G. Gavin, J. Biol. Chem. 140. LX.XWII (1941). 



58 G. Gavin and E. W. McHenry, J. Biol. Chem. 141, (il9 (1941). 



59 G. Gavin, J. M. Patterson, and E. W. McHenry, ./. Bi„L Chrni. 148. 275 (1943). 

 6" E. W. McHenry and J. M. Patterson, Physiol. Hers. 24. 12S (1944). 



'>' M. L. MacFarland and E. W. McHenry. ,/. Biol. Chcni. 159. ()05 (1945). 

 82 C. H. Best, C. C. Lucas, J. .M, Patterson, and .1. H. Hidout. Binrhcni. J 40, 368 

 (1946). 



