INCREASING CLINICAL PREGNANCY RATES AFTER IVF ET - CAN IMMUNOSUPPRESSION HELP/

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunosuppression as an adjunct to improving the success of in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF-ET). STUDY DESIGN:A randomized, double-blind, placebo-co ntrolled clinical trial. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were randomize d to receive either prednisone (39 patients, 51%) or placebo (36 patie nts, 49%). Patients in both groups had similar ages and numbers of pre embryos transferred. CONCLUSION: Both the implantation and clinical pr egnancy rates were higher in the prednisone group (16% vs. 11% and 43. 5% vs. 32.3%, respectively). However, these differences did not achiev e statistical significance. Evaluation of the ongoing pregnancy rate r evealed little difference between the prednisone-treated patients (30. 7%) and those receiving placebo (28.0%). There were no side effects re ported by patients in either group.