•Organic acidic products of cellular metabolism that are excreted in urine (in mammals)

oProduced by living organisms including humans, bacteria, and fungi

oEvaluation of these downstream products of metabolic pathways provides insight into potential nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, toxicity, and other imbalances that could be contributing to clinical complaints

•Origins of Organic Acid Testing

oTo rule out rare Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM)- usually in infancy

oElevations of these organic acids (OA) reflect dysfunction in specific metabolic pathways

§Accumulation of these toxic metabolites can by life-threatening

§Symptoms observed in the newborn period include poor feeding and weight gain; nausea and vomiting; neuromuscular issues (e.g., poor tone, seizures); and susceptibility to infection

•Use of OAs have evolved from investigating IEM to providing insight into functional metabolic imbalances.