Fiehn, OliverKim, Jayoung2014-11-032014Fiehn, Oliver, and Jayoung Kim. 2014. “Metabolomics Insights Into Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Interstitial Cystitis.” International Neurourology Journal 18 (3): 106-114. doi:10.5213/inj.2014.18.3.106. http://dx.doi.org/10.5213/inj.2014.18.3.106.2093-4777http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13347662Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome or bladder pain syndrome, is a chronic lower urinary tract syndrome characterized by pelvic pain, urinary urgency, and increased urinary frequency in the absence of bacterial infection or identifiable clinicopathology. IC can lead to long-term adverse effects on the patient's quality of life. Therefore, early diagnosis and better understanding of the mechanisms underlying IC are needed. Metabolomic studies of biofluids have become a powerful method for assessing disease mechanisms and biomarker discovery, which potentially address these important clinical needs. However, limited intensive metabolic profiles have been elucidated in IC. The article is a short review on metabolomic analyses that provide a unique fingerprint of IC with a focus on its use in determining a potential diagnostic biomarker associated with symptoms, a response predictor of therapy, and a prognostic marker.en-USInterstitial cystitisMetabolomicsBiological markersMagnetic resonance spectroscopyMass spectrometryJournal Article2014-11-0310.5213/inj.2014.18.3.106