Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist super-long protocol elevates pregnancy rate of assisted reproductive technique in patients with moderate-to-severe endometriosis / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the impact of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) super-long protocol on embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with moderate-to-severe endometriosis. Methods This retrospective study included 120 women with endometriosis who received IVF-ET from Jun. 2012 to Jul. 2016 in Reproductive Medical Center of Changhai Hospital of Second Military Medical University. Among the 120 patients, 42 received super-long GnRH-a protocol, 38 received long GnRH-a protocol, and 40 received short GnRH-a protocol during IVF-ET. We compared (1) The patients’ age, infertility years, basal serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2), and the levels of FSH, LH, E2 and progesterone on the human chorionic gonadotropin hCG day; (2) the average number of retrieved oocyte, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, number of available embryos, embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate. Results (1) There was no significantdifference in general characteristics between three protocols. (2) Compared with the short GnRH-a protocol group, the super-long GnRH-a protocol and long GnRH-a protocol had significantly decrease serum LH and progesterone levelson the hCG day (all P<0. 05). (3) The fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate of super-long GnRH-a protocol were significantly higher than those of the short GnRH-a protocol (P<0. 05). Conclusion The IVF-ET using super-long GnRH-a protocol can improve the embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate of the patients withmoderate-to-severe endometriosis compared with using long or short GnRH-a protocol.