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We report on the natural history of diaphanospondylodysostosis (DSD) in the longest known survivor. DSD is a rare form of autosomal recessive vertebral dysotosis recently identified to be caused by a mutation in the BMPER gene. This condition is characterized by absent or severely delayed ossification of vertebral bodies, short broad thorax, short neck, protuberant abdomen, marked respiratory insufficiency, and normal appendicular skeleton. It is one of a number of spinal dysostoses, which are a heterogeneous group of axial skeletal malformations occurring during blastogenesis with continued evolution after birth. Significant medical intervention and at-home support contributed to the long-term survival of our patient. The patient had tracheomalacia, which resulted in respiratory insufficiency with thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS). Tracheostomy and vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) insertion operations ameliorated his symptoms. In addition, comprehensive physical and occupational therapy was performed due to chronic hypotonia. A consistent feature of all described DSD cases thus far are renal findings of dysplasia, nephrogenic rests or nephroblastomatosis, and/or cysts. The patient's renal cysts were monitored with serial ultrasounds at approximately 6-month intervals. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral renal cysts by ultrasound as a neonate, with eventual diagnosis at approximately 20 months of age with nephroblastoma suggesting this maybe an intrinsic part of DSD. The lack of other cases with nephroblastoma is likely related to the previously reported short period of survival., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In short-term studies, caffeine has been shown to increase insulin levels, reduce insulin sensitivity, and increase cortisol levels. However, epidemiological studies have indicated that long-term consumption of beverages containing caffeine such as coffee and green tea is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is a paucity of randomized studies addressing the metabolic and hormonal effects of consuming caffeine over periods of more than 1 day. We evaluated the effect of oral intake of 200 mg of caffeine taken twice a day for 7 days on glucose metabolism, as well as on serum cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione, and on nighttime salivary melatonin. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study with periods of 7 days and washouts of 5 days comparing caffeine with placebo capsules was conducted. Participants were 16 healthy adults aged 18 to 22 years with a history of caffeine consumption. Blood samples from each subject were assayed for glucose, insulin, serum cortisol, DHEA, and androstenedione on the eighth day of each period after an overnight fast. Nighttime salivary melatonin was also measured. Insulin levels were significantly higher (by 1.80 microU/mL; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-3.28) after caffeine intake than after placebo. The homeostasis model assessment index of insulin sensitivity was reduced by 35% (95% confidence interval, 7%-62%) by caffeine. There were no differences in glucose, DHEA, androstenedione, and melatonin between treatment periods. This study provides evidence that daily caffeine intake reduces insulin sensitivity; the effect persists for at least a week and is evident up to 12 hours after administration.