Co-treatment of patients resistant to induction by gonadotropins with combined growth hormone and gonadotropins: a preliminary study

ABSTRACT

This preliminary study was performed on 5 patients with anovulatory infertility. 4 of them were due to hypogonadism [H.H.], while the fifth one was due to secondary ovarian failure. These patients were poor responders to previous ovarian super stimulation trials by high doses of HMG. GH reserve was tested in all 5 patients using Clonidine stimulation test, all were negative. In the H.H. patients, induction of ovulation was tried in 8 cycles using GH as a co-treatment to HMG. This combination succeeded to stimulate adequate follicular growth in 7 cycles with subsequent aspiration of variable quality ova and failed in only one cycle. Four IVF and three ZIFT trials were performed in these 7 cycles where one pregnancy succeeded to occur. The fifth patient with ovarian failure, got pregnant by using GH only every other day for 3 months. This study represents the importance of GH therapy as a co-treatment for induction of ovulation in poor responders to ovarian super induction by gonadotropins