G. De Placido et al., Rescue of IVF cycles by HMG in pituitary down-regulated normogonadotrophicyoung women characterized by a poor initial response to recombinant FSH, HUM REPR, 16(9), 2001, pp. 1875-1879
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adding
human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) during controlled ovarian stimulation
in normoovulatory normogonadotrophic patients showing an initial suboptimal
response to a standardized long protocol therapy with recombinant FSH (rFS
H) (300 IU/day). METHODS: A total of 43 such patients were randomized in tw
o groups. In Group A, 150 IU rFSH was substituted by 150 IU HMG after day 8
of stimulation. The stimulation protocol of Group B involved a simple incr
ease of the daily rFSH dose to 375 IU after day 8. A total of 40 BMI and ag
e matched patients with an optimal ovarian response formed the control grou
p (Group C). RESULTS: The mean Group A serum concentration of oestradiol on
the day of HCG administration and average number of oocytes retrieved were
significantly higher than Group B (P < 0.001) and equivalent to Group C. A
total of 10 pregnancies (50%) in Group A, 8 (34.8%) in Group B and 19 (47.
5%) in the control group were achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that
LH supplementation improves the ovarian outcome in patients characterized b
y an inadequate initial response to rFSH therapy in a long protocol.