Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B-5, is a water soluble vitamin and a part of an enzyme that is involved in the release of energy from carbohydrates and proteins and in the breakdown and production of fatty acids. The recommended dosage for adults is 5.0 mg per day, but those suffering from HIV infection have notoriously lower levels due to malabsorbtion of food. Addition of pantothenic acid has shown to be beneficial to HIV patients, but consult with a physician before supplementing with a vitamin regime.
Infants with HIV positive Mothers
An article appearing in the March 2004 issue of the "Bulletin of the Word Health Organization," explored the fitness of the 2001 WHO feeding recommendations for infants of HIV-infected mothers in rural South Africa. The researchers considered the nutritional adequacy, cost, and preparation time of home-prepared powdered milk containing different micronutrient supplements including pantothenic acid. The study found that powdered supplements when mixed with water, sugar, and each micronutrient supplement delivered approximately 75 percent of the recommended dosage of pantothenic acid to prevent symptoms in infants exposed to HIV. The authors concluded that revisions of WHO-UNICEF HIV infant feeding recommendations are needed.
Drug Abusers and Pantothenic Acid
A study appearing in the July 1996 issue of "Nutrition" assessed dietary intake in a sample of inner-city injecting drug users including both HIV-infected and noninfected men and women. HIV-infected individuals were found to have higher protein and fat consumption, due to higher intakes of saturated and monounsaturated fats. Additionally, the concentration of pantothenic acid was below the recommended daily allowances for both HIV positive and negative serotypes. The authors concluded that these results may result from imbalanced food selections and day-to-day variation of typically low intakes of fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. The study concluded that more research proved necessary to fully understand the implication of dietary habits and nutritional status in HIV-infected individuals.
Co-infection and Pantothenic Acid
Bacterial infections are a common complication in chronic HIV infection. A leading cause of mortality in HIV infected individual is the additive effect of dual infections with other bacterial pathogens. An article appearing in the October 2002 issue of "Nature Medicine" investigated drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, and pantothenic acid levels in an immunocompromised mouse model. The authors report that a mutant strain of M. tuberculosis defective in the synthesis of pantothenic acid is greatly inhibited in immunocompromised mice receiving pantothenic acid therapy. These findings highlight the importance of pantothenate biosynthesis in limiting the survival and pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients.
Supplementation of Pantothenic Acid
A May 1996 article appearing in the "Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology" surveyed the use of vitamin supplements in HIV positive men and women and HIV negative controls participating in a study of heterosexual HIV transmission. The authors assayed antioxidants, vitamins and pantothenic acid and found that HIV-infected patients had lower circulating concentrations than controls. These abnormal concentrations were unrelated to stage of disease. The study concluded that participants who took vitamin supplements had consistently higher concentrations of pantothenic acid concentrations, which may contribute to inhibiting the progression of the disease.
References
- "Bulliten of the World Health Organization"; Are WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF-recommended replacement milks for infants of HIV-infected mothers appropriate in the South African context?; P. Papathakis et al; March 2004
- National Institute of Drug Abuse: Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse: May 1997
- "Nature Medicine"; A pantothenate auxotroph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is highly attenuated and protects mice against tuberculosis; V. Sambandamurthy et al; September 2002
- "Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology"; Micronutrient profiles in HIV-1-infected heterosexual adults; J. Skurnick et al; May 1996
- "Nutrition"; Dietary intake of community-based HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative injecting drug users; E. Smit et al; July 1996
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