PERSONALITY-CHARACTERISTICS, PSYCHOENDOCRINOLOGICAL STRESS AND OUTCOME OF IVF DEPEND UPON THE ETIOLOGY OF INFERTILITY

Personality characteristics, psychoendocrinological stress responses a nd course and outcome of treatment were investigated in 40 women under going in vitro fertilization (IVF). In addition to classification by t he major causes of infertility (mechanical infertility or male inferti lity), the subjects were also divided in two subgroups of 17 women wit h completely 'normal' menstural cycles and 23 women with subtle distur bances of their menstrual cycle. These disturbances were due to either minimal endometriosis, luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) syndrome or luteal phase insufficiency. Women with subtle cycle disturbances ha ve been shown to have a lower pregnancy rate in IVF than women with no rmal cycles. The correlation of the state anxiety level of the patient in the early follicular phase with a negative outcome in IVF is seen to be higher in women with subtle cycle disturbances. Furthermore, pro lactin concentrations are always higher in women with subtle cycle dis turbances. Our data contribute to the hypothesis that subtle cycle dis turbances, i.e. LUF syndrome, luteal phase insufficiency and endometri osis, could be associated with higher psychoendocrinological stress le vels.