Early pregnancy loss in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome after IVM versus standard ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI.

STUDY QUESTION: Is the incidence of early pregnancy loss (EPL) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) higher after IVM of oocytes than after ovarian stimulation (OS) for IVF/ICSI? SUMMARY ANSWER: Women with PCOS who are pregnant after fresh embryo transfer have a higher probability of EPL following IVM, but after frozen embryo transfer (FET), no significant difference in the incidence of EPL was observed following IVM compared to OS. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: There is conflicting evidence in the current literature with regard to the risk of EPL after IVM of oocytes when compared with OS. Because of the limited sample size in previous studies, the use of different IVM systems and the possible bias introduced by patient characteristics and treatment type, firm conclusions cannot be drawn. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This was a retrospective cohort study evaluating 800 women, with a diagnosis of infertility and PCOS as defined by Rotterdam criteria, who had a first positive pregnancy test after fresh or FET following IVM or OS between January 2010 and December 2017 in a tertiary care academic medical centre. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Pregnancies after non-hCG triggered IVM following a short course of highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin were compared with those after conventional OS. The primary outcome was EPL, defined as a spontaneous pregnancy loss before 10 weeks of gestation. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: In total, 329 patients with a positive pregnancy test after IVM and 471 patients with a positive pregnancy test after OS were included. Women who were pregnant after IVM were younger (28.6 ± 3.4 years vs 29.3 ± 3.6 years, P = 0.005) and had higher serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels (11.5 ± 8.1 ng/ml vs 7.2 ± 4.1 ng/ml, P < 0.001) compared to those who were pregnant after OS. The distribution of PCOS phenotypes was significantly different among women in the IVM group compared to those in the OS group and women who were pregnant after OS had previously suffered EPL more often (28% vs 17.6%, P = 0.003). EPL was significantly higher after fresh embryo transfer following IVM compared to OS (57/122 (46.7%) vs 53/305 (17.4%), P < 0.001), while the results were comparable after FET (63/207 (30.4%) vs 60/166 (36.1%), respectively, P = 0.24). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis evaluating fresh embryo transfer cycles, IVM was the only independent factor (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.24, 95% CI 2.44-7.37, P < 0.001)) significantly associated with increased odds of EPL. On the other hand, when the same model was applied to FET cycles, the type of treatment (IVM vs OS) was not significantly associated with EPL (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.43-1.25, P = 0.25). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The current data are limited by the retrospective nature of the study and the potential of bias due to unmeasured confounders. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The increased risk of EPL after fresh embryo transfer following IVM may point towards inadequate endometrial development in IVM cycles. Adopting a freeze-all strategy after IVM seems more appropriate. Future studies are needed to ascertain the underlying cause of this observation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): The Clinical IVM research has been supported by research grants from Cook Medical and Besins Healthcare. All authors declared no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

SAY NO to mild ovarian stimulation for all poor responders: it is time to realize that not all poor responders are the same.

Over the last 25 years, a vast body of literature has been published evaluating different treatment modalities for the management of poor ovarian responders. Despite the evidence that maximizing ovarian response can improve the chances of live born babies in poor responders, there are still voices suggesting that all poor responders are the same, irrespective of their age and their actual ovarian reserve. This has resulted in the suggestion of adopting a mild ovarian stimulation approach for all poor responders, based on the results of several trials which failed to identity differences when comparing mild and more intense stimulation in predicted poor responders. The current article analyzes in detail these studies and discusses the shortcomings in terms of type of population included, outcomes and settings performed, which may actually be responsible for the belief that only mild stimulation should be used. In the era of individualization in medicine, it must be realized that there are subgroups of predicted poor responders who will benefit from an individual rather than 'one fits all' mild stimulation approach and thus we should provide the same standard of treatment for all our poor responder patients.

Do we need to measure progesterone in oocyte donation cycles? A retrospective analysis evaluating cumulative live birth rates and embryo quality.

STUDY QUESTION: Does late follicular-phase elevated serum progesterone (LFEP) during ovarian stimulation for oocyte donation have an impact on embryo quality (EQ) and cumulative live birth rate (CLBR)? SUMMARY ANSWER: LFEP does not have an influence on EQ nor CLBR in oocyte donation cycles. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Ovarian stimulation promotes the production of progesterone (P) which, when elevated during the follicular phase, has been demonstrated to have a deleterious effect in autologous fresh IVF outcomes. While there is robust evidence that this elevation results in impaired endometrial receptivity, the impact on EQ remains a matter of debate. The oocyte donation model is an excellent tool to assess the effects of LFEP on EQ from those on endometrium receptivity separately. Previous studies in oocyte donation cycles investigating the influence of elevated P on pregnancy outcomes in oocyte recipients showed conflicting results. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This is a retrospective analysis including all GnRH antagonist down-regulated cycles for fresh oocyte donation taking place in a tertiary referral university hospital between 2010 and 2017. A total of 397 fresh donor-recipient cycles were included. Each donor was included only once in the analysis and could be associated to a single recipient. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The sample was stratified according to serum P levels of ≤1.5 and >1.5 ng/mL on the day of ovulation triggering. The primary endpoint of the study was the top-quality embryo rate on Day 3, and the secondary outcome measure was CLBR defined as a live-born delivery beyond 24 weeks. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Three hundred ninety-seven fresh oocyte donation cycles were included in the analysis, of which 314 (79%) had a serum P ≤ 1.5 ng/mL and 83 (20.9%) had a serum P > 1.5 ng/mL. The average age of the oocyte donors was 31.4 ± 4.7 and 29.9 ± 4.5 years, respectively, for normal and elevated P (P = 0.017). The mean number of oocytes retrieved was significantly higher in the elevated P group with 16.6 ± 10.6 vs 11.5 ± 6.9 in the P ≤ 1.5 group (P < 0.001).In parallel, the total number of embryos on Day 3, as well as the number of good-quality embryos at this stage, was significantly higher in the elevated P group (6.6 ± 5.6 vs 4.15 ± 3.5 and 8.7 ± 6.3 vs 6.1 ± 4.4; respectively, P < 0.001). However, maturation and fertilization rates did not vary significantly between the two study groups and neither did the top- and good-quality embryo rate and the embryo utilization rate, all evaluated on Day 3 (P = 0.384, P = 0.405 and P = 0.645, respectively). A multivariable regression analysis accounting for P groups, age of the donor, number of retrieved oocytes and top-quality embryo rate as potential confounders showed that LFEP negatively influenced neither the top-quality embryo rate nor the CLBR. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This is an observational study based on a retrospective data analysis. Better extrapolation of the results could be validated by performing a prospective trial. Furthermore, this study was focused on oocyte donation cycles and hence the results cannot be generalized to the entire infertile population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This is the first study providing evidence that LFEP does not influence CLBR and is adding strong evidence to the existing literature that LFEP does not harm EQ in oocyte donation programs. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: Not applicable.

Predicting suboptimal oocyte yield following GnRH agonist trigger by measuring serum LH at the start of ovarian stimulation.

STUDY QUESTION: Are the LH levels at the start of ovarian stimulation predictive of suboptimal oocyte yield from GnRH agonist triggering in GnRH antagonist down-regulated cycles? SUMMARY ANSWER: LH levels at the start of ovarian stimulation are an independent predictor of suboptimal oocyte yield following a GnRH agonist trigger. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: A GnRH agonist ovulation trigger may result in an inadequate oocyte yield in a small subset of patients. This failure can range from empty follicle syndrome to the retrieval of much fewer oocytes than expected. Suboptimal response to a GnRH agonist trigger has been defined as the presence of circulating LH levels <15 IU/l 12 h after triggering. It has been shown that patients with immeasurable LH levels on trigger day have an up to 25% risk of suboptimal response. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: In this retrospective cohort study, all patients (n = 3334) who received GnRH agonist triggering (using Triptoreline 0.2 mg) for final oocyte maturation undergoing a GnRH antagonist cycle in our centre from 2011 to 2017 were included. The primary outcome of the study was oocyte yield, defined as the ratio between the total number of collected oocytes and the number of follicles with a mean diameter >10 mm prior to GnRH agonist trigger. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The endocrine profile of all patients was studied at initiation as well as at the end of ovarian stimulation. In order to evaluate whether LH levels, not only at the end but also at the start, of ovarian stimulation predicted oocyte yield, we performed multivariable regression analysis adjusting for the following confounding factors: female age, body mass index, oral contraceptives before treatment, basal and trigger day estradiol levels, starting FSH levels, use of highly purified human menopausal gonadotrophin and total gonadotropin dose. Suboptimal response to GnRH agonist trigger was defined as <10th percentile of oocyte yield. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The average age was 31.9 years, and the mean oocyte yield was 89%. The suboptimal response to GnRH agonist trigger cut-off (<10th percentile) was 45%, which was exhibited by 340 patients. Following confounder adjustment, multivariable regression analysis showed that LH levels at the initiation of ovarian stimulation remained an independent predictor of suboptimal response even in the multivariable model (adjusted OR 0.920, 95% CI 0.871-0.971). Patients with immeasurable LH levels at the start of stimulation (<0.1 IU/l) had a 45.2% risk of suboptimal response, while the risk decreased with increasing basal LH levels; baseline circulating LH <0.5 IU/L, <2 IU/L and <5 IU/L were associated with a 39.1%, 25.2% and 13.6% risk, respectively. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The main limitation of the study is its retrospective design. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This is the largest study of GnRH agonist trigger cycles only, since most of the previous research on the predictive value of basal LH levels was performed in dual trigger cycles. LH values should be measured prior to start of ovarian stimulation. In cases where they are immeasurable, suboptimal response to GnRH agonist trigger can be anticipated, and an individualized approach is warranted. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): There was no funding and no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Not applicable.

Implantation in assisted reproduction: a look at endometrial receptivity.

Implantation failure in assisted reproduction is thought to be mainly due to impaired uterine receptivity. With normal uterine anatomy, changes in endocrine profile during ovarian stimulation and medical conditions of the mother (i.e. thrombophilia and abnormal immunological response) could result in a non-receptive endometrium. High oestradiol concentrations during ovarian stimulation lead to premature progesterone elevation, causing endometrial advancement and hampering implantation, which can be overcome by a freeze-all approach and embryo transfer in natural cycles or by milder stimulation protocols. Patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) should be tested for inherited and acquired thrombophilias. Each patient should be individually assessed and counselled regarding therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Empirical treatment with LMWH, aspirin or corticosteroids is not effective for women with RIF who have negative thrombophilic tests. If thrombophilic tests are normal, patients should be tested for immunological causes. If human leukocyte antigen dissimilarity is proven, treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin might be beneficial. Preliminary observational studies using intralipid infusion in the presence of increased natural killer cytotoxic activity are interesting but the proposed rationale is controversial and randomized controlled trials are needed. Hysteroscopy and/or endometrial scratching in the cycle preceding ovarian stimulation should become standard for patients with RIF.

Risk charts to identify low and excessive responders among first-cycle IVF/ICSI standard patients.

Ovarian stimulation carries a risk of either low or excessive ovarian response. The aim was to develop prognostic models for identification of standard (ovulatory and normal basal FSH) patients' risks of low and excessive response to conventional stimulation for IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Prospectively collected data on 276 first-cycle patients treated with 150 IU recombinant FSH (rFSH)/day in a long agonist protocol were analysed. Logistic regression analysis was applied to the outcome variables:low (seven or less follicles) and excessive (20 or more follicles) response. Variables were woman's age, menstrual cycle length, weight or body mass index, ovarian volume, antral follicle count (AFC) and basal FSH. The predictive performance of the models was evaluated from the prediction error (Brier score, %) where zero corresponds to a perfect prediction. Model stability was assessed using 1000 bootstrap cross-validation steps. The best prognostic model to predict low response included AFC and age (Brier score 7.94) and the best model to predict excessive response included AFC and cycle length (Brier score 15.82). Charts were developed to identify risks of low and excessive ovarian response. They can be used for evidence-based risk assessment before ovarian stimulation and may assist clinicians in individual dosage of their patients.

Intramyometrial ectopic pregnancy in an ICSI patient following uterine artery embolization.

Myometrial pregnancy represents a rare subtype of ectopic pregnancy. A history of uterine artery embolization (UAE) because of symptomatic uterine fibroids, and assisted reproductive treatment may predispose to this unusual implantation site. A 40-year-old woman with a history of uterine fibroids underwent a transfer of two embryos after intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. The combined findings on transvaginal ultrasound scan, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging scan, suction curettage, diagnostic hysteroscopy and laparoscopy were compatible with a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy within the myometrium, at the site of a necrotized intramyometrial fibroid following UAE. Treatment with systemic methotrexate resulted in successful resolution of this ectopic pregnancy. In conclusion, this study reports a pregnancy within a previously necrotized fibroid. Findings suggest that in patients with a history of UAE for the treatment of uterine fibroids and who subsequently undergo assisted reproductive treatment, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy within the myometrium has to be considered.

Does the estradiol level on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin administration have an impact on pregnancy rates in patients treated with rec-FSH/GnRH antagonist?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the association between estradiol (E(2)) levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) administration and pregnancy rates in a recombinant FSH (rec-FSH) antagonist fixed protocol. METHODS: A group of 207 patients (or=3 follicles of >or=17 mm diameter. One to two embryos were transferred on Day 3 after oocyte retrieval. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) for E(2) on the day of hCG could not distinguish between pregnant and non-pregnant women (AUC:0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42-0.59). No significant difference was observed between the three percentile groups of E(2) values on the day of hCG administration [group 1, lower 25th percentile (<1142 pg/ml); group 2, medium 50th percentile (1142-2446 pg/ml) and group 3, higher 75th percentile (>2446 pg/ml)] for the ongoing pregnancy rates (P = 0.52). On the contrary, the linear regression model showed that higher E(2) values on the day of hCG administration significantly improved the scores of transferred embryos (P = 0.01) as well as the total embryo score (P = 0.02). Yet subgroup analysis only in this high responders group revealed lower E(2) and progesterone levels on the day of hCG in pregnant women compared with the non-pregnant (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: E(2) concentrations on the day of hCG administration in GnRH antagonist cycles are not associated with pregnancy rates. A potential deleterious impact of estradiol on endometrial receptivity is shown for the high responders who have high E(2) levels and improved embryo quality without a concomitant rise in pregnancy rate.

Luteal phase oestradiol suppression by letrozole: a pilot study in oocyte donors.

This prospective randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in a tertiary referral university hospital to evaluate whether the administration of letrozole in the luteal phase of stimulated IVF cycles, through a decrease in oestradiol, could alter the suppressed LH levels in the luteal phase. Following oocyte retrieval, six oocyte donors aged < or = 36 years were randomized to receive either 5 mg letrozole (n = 3) or placebo (n = 3). On days 4, 7 and 10 after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration, oestradiol levels of the letrozole group were significantly lower compared with the placebo group (P = 0.008, P =0.005 and P =0.004, respectively). LH and progesterone values were comparable between both groups at all time points measured. This study demonstrates that the addition of 5 mg of letrozole in the luteal phase of stimulated donor IVF cycles significantly alters the oestradiol levels on days 4, 7 and 10 after HCG administration for final oocyte maturation. The progesterone and LH profiles of patients treated with letrozole during the same period were not altered compared with the placebo group.

An update of luteal phase support in stimulated IVF cycles.

Stimulated IVF cycles are associated with luteal phase defect. In order to overcome this, different doses, durations and types of luteal phase support (LPS) have been evaluated. There is still no agreement regarding the optimal supplementation scheme. The aim of this paper is to assess the past and the current clinical practices of luteal supplementation in IVF. The databases of Medline and PubMed were searched to identify relevant publications. LPS with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) [n=262, odds ratio (OR) 2.72 (95%), confidence interval (CI) 1.56-4.90, P<0.05] or progesterone (n=260, OR 1.57 CI 1.13, 2.17, P<0.05) results in an increased pregnancy rate compared with placebo, however, hCG is associated with increased risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Natural micronized progesterone is not efficient if taken orally. The data on oral dydrogesterone are still conflicting. Vaginal and intra muscular progesterone have comparable outcomes. The addition of estradiol (E2) seems to be beneficial in long GnRH agonist protocol (implantation rate 39.6% with E2 compared with no E2; P<0.05) but not in the short GnRH agonist and GnRH antagonist protocol. Despite the early promising results, it is too early to recommend the use of GnRH agonist in LPS. LPS should cease on the day of positive HCG. Since the cause of luteal phase defect in IVF appears to be related to the supraphysiological levels of steroids, milder stimulation protocols should be advocated in order to eventually overcome the luteal phase defect.

Effect of oral administration of dydrogestrone versus vaginal administration of natural micronized progesterone on the secretory transformation of endometrium and luteal endocrine profile in patients with premature ovarian failure: a proof of concept.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore the endometrial histology and endocrine profiles on day 21 of an artificial cycle in patients with premature ovarian failure (POF) treated with oral dydrogesterone (DG) or vaginal micronized progesterone. METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective pilot study at an academic reproductive medicine unit. Six POF patients were included in the study. After estrogen endometrial priming, patients were randomized to receive DG or progesterone in two subsequent cycles. The main outcome measure was the endometrial histology and the endocrine profiles on day 21 of the cycle. RESULTS: Development of endometrial glands corresponded to an early secretory phase in five out of six cases supplemented with DG (out-phase). In contrast, five out of six cases treated with micronized progesterone showed an endometrium corresponding to a mid-luteal phase (in-phase) (P = 0.021 versus DG). There was a significant difference in the mean progesterone value [8.6 versus 0.3 microg l(-1) (P = 0.013)], the mean LH value [12.9 versus 22.5 IU l(-1) (P = 0.049)] and the mean FSH value [13.0 versus 23.9 IU l(-1) (P = 0.047)] between the progesterone and DG group, respectively, on day 21 of the cycle. CONCLUSIONS: After estrogen endometrial priming in POF patients, exogenous vaginal micronized progesterone is more effective than oral DG in creating an 'in-phase' secretory endometrium and induces significantly higher progesterone and lower LH and FSH serum concentrations on day 21 of the cycle.

Impact of recombinant FSH dose adjustments on ovarian response in the second treatment cycle with IVF or ICSI in "standard" patients treated with 150 IU/day during the first cycle.

BACKGROUND: A dose of 150 IU/day of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) is commonly used as a "standard" dose for "standard" patients in the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment cycle. In the second cycle, the starting dose is adjusted in those patients who had an inappropriate response during the first cycle. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of dose adjustments on ovarian response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study including 567 first IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using the long agonist protocol in "standard" patients. In the second cycle 385 patients who had failed to achieve an ongoing pregnancy were included. The starting dose in the second cycle was adjusted according to the response in the first cycle. RESULTS: A total of 215 patients (55.8%) had altered starting dose in the second cycle: 193 (50.1%) received >150 IU/day, whereas 22 (5.7%) had <150 IU/day. In the group given >150 IU/day, significantly more follicles (9.8 vs. 8.3, p = 0.002) and oocytes (8.4 vs. 6.7, p <0.0001) were obtained in the second cycle. In the group given <150 IU/day, there were significantly fewer follicles (20.4 vs. 13.5, p <0.0001) and oocytes (16.4 vs. 11.4, p = 0.005) in the second cycle. In the group given <150 IU/day in the second cycle, six (27.3%) had an appropriate ovarian response (5-14 oocytes) in the first cycle compared to 14 (63.6%) women in the second cycle (p = 0.01). The ongoing pregnancy rates in all of the first (32.1%) and second cycles (27%) were similar (p = NS). CONCLUSION: In a "standard" patient population, 55.8% needed an altered starting dose in the second cycle and rFSH dose adjustments had a significant impact on the ovarian response.

A prospective randomized clinical trial comparing an individual dose of recombinant FSH based on predictive factors versus a 'standard' dose of 150 IU/day in 'standard' patients undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment.

BACKGROUND: The study aim was to compare the use of individual rFSH doses between 100 and 250 IU/day (calculated using the rFSH dose normogram) with a standard dose of rFSH of 150 IU/day. METHODS: This prospective randomized dual-centre clinical trial included 267 first IVF/ICSI cycles using the long agonist protocol in 'standard' patients. Following down-regulation, 262 patients were randomized using computer-generated lists using 'clusters of 10' into the individual dose (study) group (n = 131) or the standard dose (control) group (n = 131). RESULTS: In the study group, 101 patients (77.1%) had an appropriate response (defined as 5-14 oocytes), compared with 86 (65.6%) in the control group (P < 0.05). Fewer than five oocytes were retrieved in two patients (1.5%) in the study group, compared with 14 patients (10.7%) in the control group (P < 0.05). By comparison, >14 oocytes were retrieved from 27 patients (20.6%) in the study group and from 26 (19.8%) control patients (P = NS). Eighty-six per cent of the individual dose patients did not require any dose adjustment on day 8, compared with 45% of the standard dose patients (P < 0.01). The ongoing pregnancy rate per initiated cycle was 36.6% in the study group and 24.4% in the control group (P < 0.01). One patient (0.8%) in the study group, and four patients (3.1%) in the control group, were hospitalized due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: An individual dose regimen in a well-defined 'standard' patient population increased the proportion of appropriate ovarian responses and decreased the need for dose adjustments during controlled ovarian stimulation. A higher ongoing pregnancy rate was observed in the individual dose group.

A prospective study of predictive factors of ovarian response in 'standard' IVF/ICSI patients treated with recombinant FSH. A suggestion for a recombinant FSH dosage normogram.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to identify independent predictors of ovarian response to recombinant (r)FSH through a multiple regression analysis. METHODS: Prospective study including 145 'standard' patients treated with 150 IU/day of rFSH during their first IVF/ICSI cycle. Down-regulation was achieved with long agonist protocol. The following were examined as possible predictive factors: age, body mass index, cycle length, smoking status and on day 2-5: total ovarian volume, total number of antral follicles (<10 mm), total Doppler score of the ovarian stromal blood flow, serum FSH, LH, estradiol, inhibin B, and testosterone. RESULTS: Total number of antral follicles, total Doppler score, serum FSH, LH, estradiol, inhibin B, smoking status and cycle length were independent predictors of the number of aspirated follicles. The number of oocytes was predicted by the total number of antral follicles, total Doppler score, serum testosterone and smoking status. In bivariate linear regression analyses ovarian volume was a highly significant predictor of both the number of follicles (P < 0.001) and the number of oocytes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among 12 investigated possible predictive factors in 'standard' patients, the total number of antral follicles and ovarian stromal blood flow assessed by total Power Doppler score are the two most significant predictors of ovarian response. Suggestion for an rFSH dosage normogram is presented.

Progesterone supplementation during early gestations after IVF or ICSI has no effect on the delivery rates: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to study whether prolongation of luteal support during early pregnancy influences the delivery rate after IVF. METHODS: Dual centre study including 303 women who achieved pregnancy after IVF or ICSI was used. All were treated with the long protocol using GnRH agonists and given luteal support with 200 mg vaginal progesterone three times daily during 14 days from the day of transfer until the day of a positive HCG test. The study group (n = 150) withdrew vaginal progesterone from the day of positive HCG. The control group (n = 153) continued administration of vaginal progesterone during the next 3 weeks of pregnancy. RESULTS: The number of miscarriages prior to and after week 7 of gestation was seven (4.6%) and 15 (10.0%) in the study group and five (3.3%) and 13 (8.5%) in the control group respectively. The number of deliveries was 118 (78.7 %) in the study group and 126 (82.4 %) in the control group. The differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Prolongation of progesterone supplementation in early pregnancy has no influence on the miscarriage rate, and thus no effect on the delivery rate. Progesterone supplementation can safely be withdrawn at the time of a positive HCG test.