Algorithmic complexity of growth hormone release in humans

Conference · Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:549266

Prank, K; Wagner, M; Brabant, G ^[1]

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1. Medical School Hannover (Germany)

Most hormones are secreted in an pulsatile rather than in a constant manner. This temporal pattern of pulsatile hormone release plays an important role in the regulation of cellular function and structure. In healthy humans growth hormone (GH) secretion is characterized by distinct pulses whereas patients bearing a GH producing tumor accompanied with excessive secretion (acromegaly) exhibit a highly irregular pattern of GH release. It has been hypothesized that this highly disorderly pattern of GH release in acromegaly arises from random events in the GH-producing tumor under decreased normal control of GH secretion. Using a context-free grammar complexity measure (algorithmic complexity) in conjunction with random surrogate data sets we demonstrate that the temporal pattern of GH release in acromegaly is not significantly different from a variety of stochastic processes. In contrast, normal subjects clearly exhibit deterministic structure in their temporal patterns of GH secretion. Our results support the hypothesis that GH release in acromegaly is due to random events in the GH-producing tumorous cells which might become independent from hypothalamic regulation. 17 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 549266
• Report Number(s): CONF-970132-; TRN: 97:005592-0036
• Resource Relation: Conference: Pacific symposium on biocomputing `97, Kapalua, HI (United States), 6-9 Jan 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Pacific symposium on biocomputing `97: Proceedings; Altman, R.B. [ed.] [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Section on Medical Informatics]; Dunker, A.K. [ed.] [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States). Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics]; Hunter, L. [ed.] [National Insts. of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States). National Library of Medicine]; Klein, T.E. [ed.] [California Univ., San Francisco, CA (United States). Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry]; PB: 508 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
PATIENTS
ACROMEGALY
NEOPLASMS
SECRETION
CONTROL
PULSES
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
ALGORITHMS
GAUSSIAN PROCESSES
ANIMAL CELLS
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS
STH
TUMOR CELLS
DATA
STATISTICS
HYPOTHALAMUS