Abstract
Objective
Safe, simple and cost-effective protocol is an important goal in ART cycles. The aim of this prospective study was whether administration of low-dose hCG in late follicular phase can be used clinically to replace gonadotropin administration in GnRH long protocol.
Materials and methods
122 patients who were candidates for ART enrolled the study and randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 62) received standard long protocol and gonadotropin administration continued until the day of hCG injection (10,000 IU) for final follicular maturation. The study group (n = 60) received GnRH long protocol and when at least ≥6 follicles with mean diameter ≥12 mm were observed in both ovaries, hMG was displaced by 200 IU per day of hCG until final follicular maturation.
Results
There were no significant differences in age, basal FSH, infertility duration and infertility etiology between two groups. There were no statistically significant differences between two groups regarding chemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and abortion per cycle (50, 40, 40, and 20 % in study group vs. 45.2, 35.5, 35.5, and 21.4 % in control group, respectively). Mean dose of used gonadotropins was significantly higher in control group than that in the study group (2,524 ± 893 IU in control group and 1,439 ± 433 IU in study group) (p = 0.000).
Conclusion
According to our data, we recommend the use of low-dose hCG in GnRH long protocol because of lower doses of used gonadotropins.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blockeel C et al (2009) Can 200 IU of hCG replace recombinant FSH in the late follicular phase in a GnRH-antagonist cycle? A pilot study. Hum Reprod 24(11):2910–2916
Serafini P et al (2006) Ovarian stimulation with daily late follicular phase administration of low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin for in vitro fertilization: a prospective, randomized trial. Fertil Steril 86(4):830–838
Kenigsberg D et al (2006) Efficacy of luteinizing hormone activity in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and treated only with low-dose recombinant choriogonadotropin alfa (Ovidrel) in the late follicular phase. Fertil Steril 86(4):1023–1025
Filicori M et al (2002) Stimulation and growth of antral ovarian follicles by selective LH activity administration in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87(3):1156–1161
Gomes MKO et al (2007) Controlled ovarian stimulation with exclusive FSH followed by stimulation with hCG alone, FSH alone or hMG. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 130(1):99–106
Filicori M et al (2005) Efficacy of low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin alone to complete controlled ovarian stimulation. Fertil Steril 84(2):394–401
Cavagna M et al (2010) Supplementation with a recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin microdose leads to similar outcomes in ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone using either a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist for pituitary suppression. Fertil Steril 94(1):167–172
Koichi K et al (2006) Efficacy of low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in a GnRH antagonist protocol. J Assist Reprod Genet 23(5):223–228
Van Horne AK et al (2007) Recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) supplemented with low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin compared with rFSH alone for ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 88(4):1010–1013
Nyboe Andersen A et al (2008) Recombinant LH supplementation to recombinant FSH during the final days of controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization. A multicentre, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Hum Reprod 23(2):427–434
Campbell B et al (1999) Examination of the relative role of FSH and LH in the mechanism of ovulatory follicle selection in sheep. Reproduction 117(2):355
Filicori M et al (1999) Luteinizing hormone activity supplementation enhances follicle-stimulating hormone efficacy and improves ovulation induction outcome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84(8):2659–2663
Filicori M et al (2002) The use of LH activity to drive folliculogenesis: exploring uncharted territories in ovulation induction. Hum Reprod Update 8(6):543–557
Stokman P et al (1993) Human chorionic gonadotropin in commercial human menopausal gonadotropin preparations. Fertil Steril 60(1):175
The European Recombinant LH Study Group and TERLS Group (2001) Human recombinant luteinizing hormone is as effective as, but safer than, urinary human chorionic gonadotropin in inducing final follicular maturation and ovulation in in vitro fertilization procedures: results of a multicenter double-blind study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86(6):2607–2618
Sullivan MW et al (1999) Ovarian responses in women to recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (LH): a role for LH in the final stages of follicular maturation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84(1):228–232
Blockeel C et al (2011) Gene expression profile in the endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval after ovarian stimulation with low-dose hCG in the follicular phase. Mol Hum Reprod 17(1):33–41
Kyono K et al (2004) A prospective randomized study of three ovulation induction protocols for IVF: GnRH agonist versus antagonist with and without low dose hCG. Fertil Steril 82:S31
Kosmas IP et al (2009) Low-dose HCG may improve pregnancy rates and lower OHSS in antagonist cycles: a meta-analysis. Reprod BioMed Online 19(5):619–630
Verberg MFG et al (2009) Mild ovarian stimulation for IVF. Hum Reprod Update 15(1):13–29
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aflatoonian, A., Yousefnejad, F., Eftekhar, M. et al. Efficacy of low-dose hCG in late follicular phase in controlled ovarian stimulation using GnRH agonist protocol. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286, 771–775 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2337-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2337-z