Random Secretion of Growth Hormone in Humans.

In normal humans, growth hormone (GH) is secreted from a gland located adjacent to the brain(pituitary) into the blood in distinct pulses, but in patients bearing a tumor within the pituitary(acromegaly) GH is excessively secreted in an irregular manner. It has been hypothesized that GHsecretion in the diseased state becomes random. This hypothesis is supported by demonstrating thatGH secretion in patients with acromegaly can not be distinguished from a variety of linear stochasticprocesses based on the predictability of the fluctuations of GH concentration in the bloodstream.[S0031-9007(96)00996-9]