scholarly journals Strengthened luteal phase support for patients with low serum progesterone on the day of frozen embryo transfer in artificial endometrial preparation cycles: a large-sample retrospective trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyuan Gao ◽  
Jing Ye ◽  
Hongjuan Ye ◽  
Qingqing Hong ◽  
Lihua Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Low serum progesterone on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) is associated with diminished pregnancy rates in artificial endometrium preparation cycles, but there is no consensus on whether strengthened luteal phase support (LPS) benefits patients with low progesterone on the FET day in artificial cycles. This single-centre, large-sample retrospective trial was designed to investigate the contribution of strengthened LPS to pregnancy outcomes for groups with low progesterone levels on the FET day in artificial endometrium preparation cycles. Methods Women who had undergone the first artificial endometrium preparation cycle after a freeze-all protocol in our clinic from 2016 to 2018 were classified into two groups depending on their serum progesterone levels on the FET day. Routine LPS was administered to group B (P ≥ 10.0 ng/ml on the FET day, n = 1261), and strengthened LPS (routine LPS+ im P 40 mg daily) was administered to group A (P < 10.0 ng/ml on the FET day, n = 1295). The primary endpoint was the live birth rate, and the secondary endpoints were clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and neonatal outcomes. Results The results showed that the clinical pregnancy rate was significantly lower in group A than in group B (48.4% vs 53.2%, adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68, 0.96), whereas miscarriage rates were similar between the two groups (16.0% vs 14.7%, aRR 1.09, 95% CI 0.77, 1.54). The live birth rate was slightly lower in group A than in group B (39.5% vs 43.3%, aRR 0.84, 95% CI 0.70, 1.0). Birthweights and other neonatal outcomes were similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results indicated that the serum progesterone level on the FET day was one of the risk factors predicting the chances of pregnancy in artificial endometrium preparation cycles, and strengthened LPS in patients with low progesterone on the FET day might help to provide a reasonable pregnancy outcome in artificial cycles, although further prospective evidence is needed to confirm this possibility.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyuan Gao ◽  
Jing Ye ◽  
Hongjuan Ye ◽  
Qingqing Hong ◽  
Lihua Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The low serum progesterone (P) on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) is associated with diminished pregnancy rates in artificial endometrium preparation cycles using vaginal micronized P, but it is no consensus whether the strengthened luteal phase support (LPS) for the patients with low P on the FET day in artificial cycles is beneficial. A single centric, large-sample retrospective trial was aimed to investigate the contribution of strengthened LPS to the pregnancy outcomes for the groups of low P levels on the FET day in artificial endometrium preparation cycles.Methods: Women who had undergone first artificial cycle for endometrium preparation after freeze-all in our clinic during 2016 and 2018 were classified into two groups depending on the serum P levels on the FET day, routine LPS was administered for group B (P ≥10.0ng/ml on the FET day, n=1261) and strengthened LPS (routine LPS+ im P 40mg daily) for group A (P <10.0 ng/ml on the FET day, n=1295), the primary endpoint was the live birth rate and secondary endpoints were clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and neonatal outcomes.Results: The results showed the clinical pregnancy rate in group A was lower than group B (48.4% vs 53.2%, aRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68, 0.96), the miscarriage rate was similar between the two groups (16.0% vs 14.7%, aRR 1.09, 95%CI 0.77, 1.54). The live birth rate was slightly lower than group B (39.5% vs 43.3%, aRR 0.84, 95%CI 0.70, 1.0). The birthweights and other neonatal outcomes were found no difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusions: The strengthened LPS for the section of patients of low P levels on the FET day might help to have a reasonable pregnancy outcome, although the live birth rate was slightly lower than the groups with normal serum P levels on the FET day and usage of routine LPS. Trial registration: no available.


Author(s):  
Marjan Omidi ◽  
Iman Halvaei ◽  
Fatemeh Akyash ◽  
Mohammad Ali Khalili ◽  
Azam Agha-Rahimi ◽  
...  

Background: Synchronization between the embryonic stage and the uterine endometrial lining is important in the outcomes of the vitrified-warmed embryo transfer (ET) cycles. Objective: The aim was to investigate the effect of the exact synchronization between the cleavage stage of embryos and the duration of progesterone administration on the improvement of clinical outcomes in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. Materials and Methods: 312 FET cycles were categorized into two groups: (A) day- 3 ET after three days of progesterone administration (n = 177) and (B) day-2 or -4 ET after three days of progesterone administration (n = 135). Group B was further divided into two subgroups: B1: day-2 ET cycles, that the stage of embryos were less than the administrated progesterone and B2: day-4 ET cycles, that the stage of embryos were more than the administrated progesterone. The clinical outcome measures were compared between the groups. Results: The pregnancy outcomes between groups A and B showed a significant differences in the chemical (40.1% vs 27.4%; p = 0.010) and clinical pregnancies (32.8% vs 22.2%; p = 0.040), respectively. The rate of miscarriage tended to be higher and live birth rate tended to be lower in group B than in group A. Also, significantly higher rates were noted in chemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and live birth in group A when compared with subgroup B2. Conclusion: Higher rates of pregnancy and live birth were achieved in day-3 ET after three days of progesterone administration in FET cycles. Key words: Endometrium, Embryo transfer, Pregnancy, Live birth, Progesterone.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Mizrachi ◽  
E Horowitz ◽  
H Gane. Herman ◽  
J Farhi ◽  
A Raziel ◽  
...  

Abstract Study question Should women receive luteal phase support (LPS) following natural cycle frozen embryo transfer (NC-FET)? Summary answer Progesterone LPS following NC-FET increases the live birth rate. There is no evidence to support the administration of hCG for LPS in these cases. What is known already Whether or not women should receive LPS following NC-FET is highly controversial. Previous studies have shown conflicting results. Study design, size, duration We conducted a systematic search of the literature published in Medline/PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, from January 2000 until December 2020. We included all original English, peer-reviewed articles, irrespective of study-design. The search strategy included keywords related to natural cycle frozen embryo transfer and luteal phase support. Studies reporting the results of artificial or stimulated FET cycles were excluded. Participants/materials, setting, methods Our systematic search generated 395 records. After screening, eight studies were included in the review and seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Two studies (n = 858) used hCG, and 6 studies (n = 1507) used progesterone for luteal support. Four studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), whereas the other four were historic cohort studies. Main results and the role of chance In a meta-analysis using random effects model, hCG administration for LPS did not increase the clinical pregnancy rate (two studies, OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.64–1.14). On the other hand, progesterone LPS was associated with a higher clinical pregnancy rate (five studies, OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14–1.94), and a higher live birth rate (three studies, OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.19–2.36). Limitations, reasons for caution There was large heterogeneity in progesterone dose and route of administration, as well as the methods used for ovulation detection and triggering. Moreover, only four studies were randomized. Finally, both studies examining the use of hCG for LPS were performed by the same group of researchers in a single center. Wider implications of the findings: The available evidence indicates that progesterone administration for LPS is beneficial following natural cycle frozen embryo transfer. There is no evidence to support the administration of hCG for LPS in these cases. Additional Large RCTs are necessary in order to improve the quality of evidence and validate our findings. Trial registration number PROSPERO ID: CRD42020199045


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Racca ◽  
S Santos-Ribeiro ◽  
D Panagiotis ◽  
L Boudry ◽  
S Mackens ◽  
...  

Abstract Study question What is the impact of seven days versus fourteen days’ estrogen (E2) priming on the clinical outcome of frozen-embryo-transfer in artificially prepared endometrium (FET-HRT) cycles? Summary answer No significant difference in clinical/ongoing pregnancy rate was observed when comparing 7 versus 14 days of estrogen priming before starting progesterone (P) supplementation. What is known already One (effective) method for endometrial preparation prior to frozen embryo transfer is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a sequential regimen with E2 and P, which aims to mimic the endocrine exposure of the endometrium in a physiological cycle. The average duration of E2 supplementation is generally 12–14 days, however, this protocol has been arbitrarily chosen whereas, the optimal duration of E2 implementation remains unknown. Study design, size, duration This is a single-center, randomized, controlled, open-label pilot study. All FET-HRT cycles were performed in a tertiary centre between October 2018 and December 2020. Overall, 150 patients were randomized of whom 132 were included in the analysis after screening failure and drop-out. Participants/materials, setting, methods The included patients were randomized into one of 2 groups; group A (7 days of E2 prior to P supplementation) and group B (14 days of E2 prior to P supplementation). Both groups received blastocyst stage embryos for transfer on the 6th day of vaginal P administration. Pregnancy was assessed by an hCG blood test 12 days after FET and clinical pregnancy was confirmed by transvaginal ultrasound at 7 weeks of gestation. Main results and the role of chance Following the exclusion of drop-outs and screening failures, 132 patients were finally included both in group A (69 patients) or group B (63 patients). Demographic characteristics for both groups were comparable. The positive pregnancy rate was 46.4% and 53.9%, (p 0.462) for group A and group B, respectively. With regard to the clinical pregnancy rate at 7 weeks, no statistically significant difference was observed (36.2% vs 36.5% for group A and group B, respectively, p = 0.499). The secondary outcomes of the study (biochemical pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth rate) were also comparable between the two arms for both PP and ITT analysis. Multivariable logistic regression showed that the HRT scheme is not associated with pregnancy rate, however, the P value on the day of ET is significantly associated with the pregnancy outcome. Limitations, reasons for caution This study was designed as a proof of principle trial with a limited study population and therefore underpowered to determine the superiority of one intervention over another. Instead, the purpose of the present study was to explore trends in outcome differences and to allow us to safely design larger RCTs. Wider implications of the findings: The results of this study give the confidence to perform larger-scale RCTs to confirm whether a FET-HRT can be performed safely in a shorter time frame, thus, reducing the TTP, while maintaining comparable pregnancy and live birth rates. Trial registration number NCT03930706


2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 534-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Bjuresten ◽  
Britt-Marie Landgren ◽  
Outi Hovatta ◽  
Anneli Stavreus-Evers

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanbo Du ◽  
Lei Yan ◽  
Mei Sun ◽  
Yan Sheng ◽  
Xiufang Li ◽  
...  

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in hormone replacement (HT) regime for frozen thawed embryo transfer in women with endometriosis (EM).Methods: We performed a retrospective, database-search, cohort study and included data on EM patients who underwent frozen embryo transfer (FET) between January 1, 2009 and August 31, 2018. According to the protocols for FET cycle, the patients were divided into two groups: control group (n = 296) and hCG group (n = 355). Clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, early abortion rate, late abortion rate, and ectopic pregnancy rate were compared between the two groups.Results: There was a significant increase in clinical pregnancy rate in the hCG group (57.7 vs. 49%, p = 0.027) compared with the control group. The live birth rate in the hCG group (45.6 vs. 38.5%, p = 0.080) was also elevated, but this difference was not statistically significant.Conclusion: hCG administration in HT regime for FET increases the pregnancy rate in women with EM.


Author(s):  
Yanbo Du ◽  
Lei Yan ◽  
Mei Sun ◽  
Yan Sheng ◽  
Xiufang Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose To investigate the effect of hCG in hormone replacement regime for frozen thawed embryo transfer in women with endometriosis. Methods We performed a retrospective, database-searched cohort study. The data of endometriosis patients who underwent frozen embryo transfer between 1/1/2009-31/8/2018 were collected. According to the protocols for frozen embryo transfer cycle, these patients were divided into two groups: Control group(n=305), and hCG group(n=362). And clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, early abortion rate, late abortion rate and ectopic pregnancy rate were compared between the two groups. Results There was a significant increase in clinical pregnancy rate in hCG group (56.6% vs. 48.2%, p=0.035) compared to the control group. And the live birth rate in hCG group (43.5% vs. 37.4%, p=0.113) also elevated, but the difference is statistically insignificant. Conclusion hCG administration in hormone replacement regime for FET increase the pregnancy rate in women with endometriosis.


Trials ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Haiyan ◽  
Yang Gang ◽  
Li Yu ◽  
Li Lin ◽  
Chen Xiaoli ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In previous retrospective studies, low serum progesterone level on the embryo transfer day is associated with lower clinical pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates. Whether adding progesterone in low serum progesterone patients can rescue the outcome, there is no sufficient evidence from randomized controlled studies. Methods This trial is a clinical randomized controlled study (high serum progesterone vs low serum progesterone 1:1, 1:1 randomization ratio of intervention vs the control group with low serum progesterone). The eligible hormone replacement therapy—frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles, will be recruited and randomly assigned to two parallel groups when serum progesterone is < 7.24μg/l on the day of embryo transfer for D3. The intervention group will be extrally given intramuscular progesterone 40 mg per day from D3 to 8 weeks of gestation if clinical pregnancy. The primary outcome is the ongoing pregnancy (beyond 12 weeks of gestation) rate. Discussion The findings of this study will provide strong evidence for whether the progesterone addition from the D3 in low serum progesterone patients can improve the outcome in the HRT-FET cycle. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT04248309. Registered on January 28, 2020


Author(s):  
Nathalie F. Wang ◽  
Leif Bungum ◽  
Sven O. Skouby

Abstract The need for luteal phase support in IVF/ICSI is well established. A large effort has been made in the attempt to identify the optimal type, start, route, dosage and duration of luteal phase support for IVF/ICSI and frozen embryo transfer. These questions are further complicated by the different types of stimulation protocols and ovulation triggers used in ART. The aim of this review is to supply a comprehensive overview of the available types of luteal phase support, and the indications for their use. A review of the literature was carried out in the effort to find the optimal luteal phase support regimen with regards to pregnancy related outcomes and short and long term safety. The results demonstrate that vaginal, intramuscular, subcutaneous and rectal progesterone are equally effective as luteal phase support in IVF/ICSI. GnRH agonists and oral dydrogesterone are new and promising treatment modalities but more research is needed. hCG and estradiol are not recommended for luteal phase support. More research is needed to establish the most optimal luteal phase support in frozen embryo transfer cycles, but progesterone has been shown to improve live birth rate in some studies. Luteal phase support should be commenced between the evening of the day of oocyte retrieval, and day three after oocyte retrieval and it should be continued at least until the day of positive pregnancy test. So, in conclusion still more large and well-designed RCT’s are needed to establish the most optimal luteal phase support in each stimulation protocol, and especially in frozen embryo transfer.


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