Ribitol

Ribitol is a pentose sugar alcohol derived from ribose in vivo via the pentose phosphate pathway. It is a component of the glycopolymer teichoic acid in bacterial cell walls. Levels of ribitol are increased in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and plasma of a patient with ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RPI) deficiency, an extremely rare inborn error of metabolism characterized by a heterozygous frameshift mutation and missense allele in the RPI gene leading to leukoencephalopathy and mild peripheral polyneuropathy.