Vitamin B 5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Measurement of vitamin B5 level

Results of this test are for investigational purposes only. The performance characteristics of this assay have been determined by LabCorp. The result should not be used as a diagnostic procedure without confirmation of the diagnosis by another medically established diagnostic product or procedure.

Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that is also referred to as vitamin B5.1-3 Pantothenic acid and its derivatives are found in all cells as an integral part of the acylation carriers, coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein.1-3 CoA is required for the synthesis of essential fats, cholesterol, and steroid hormones, as well as acetylcholine and melatonin.1 CoA is integral to the Krebs' cycle and the catabolism of fatty acids and proteins.1 It is also used in the manufacture of heme, a component of hemoglobin, and in the catabolism of a number of drugs by the liver.1 Protein acetylation is also thought to play a roll in cell division, DNA replication, and in cell signaling.1

In recent times, fulminate vitamin B5 deficiency has only been observed in individuals who have been fed semisynthetic diets devoid of pantothenic acid or individuals who have ingested a metabolic antagonist to the vitamin, ω-methyl-pantothenic acid.2 In these cases, symptoms included irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbances, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, numbness, paresthesias, muscle cramps, a staggering gait, hypoglycemia, and an increased sensitivity to insulin.2,3 Historically, severe vitamin B5 deficiency was associated with the "burning feet" syndrome that affected prisoners of war in the Philippines, Burma, and Japan during World War II.2

Vitamin B5 supplements often contain pantothenol, a relatively stable alcohol derivative of pantothenic acid, which is rapidly converted to pantothenic acid after ingestion.1 The calcium salt of pantothenic acid is also available in supplements.1 Pantethine, a dimeric form of pantothenic acid, is used as a cholesterol-lowering agent in Europe and Japan and is available in the US as a dietary supplement that is converted to vitamin B5 after ingestion.1

1. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Research Center. Niacin. Available at: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/pa/. Accessed January 7, 2011.

2. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Patothenic Acid. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press;1998:357-373.

3. Tahiliani AG, Beinlich CJ. Pantothenic acid in health and disease. Vitam Horm. 1991; 46:165-228. PubMed 1746161