Karen Peeraer1, Thomas D'Hooghe1, Pascale Laurent2, Sofie Pelckmans3, Annick Delvigne4, Annouschka Laenen5, Myriam Welkenhuysen1, Christine Wyns2, Diane De Neubourg6. 1. LUFC-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Leuven; Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven, Belgium. 2. Department of Gynaecology-Andrology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Imelda Hospitals, Bonheiden, Belgium. 4. Centre de PMA, CHC-Clinique Saint-Vincent, Liège, Belgium. 5. Leuven Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics Centre, Leuven, Belgium. 6. LUFC-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Leuven; Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: diane.deneubourg@uza.be.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of luteal phase support (LPS) in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles stimulated with gonadotropins. DESIGN: Randomized multicenter trial. SETTING:Academic tertiary care centers and affiliated secondary care centers. PATIENT(S): Three hundred and ninety-three normo-ovulatory patients, <43 years, with body mass index ≤30 kg/m2, in their first IUI cycle, with at least one patent tube, a normal uterine cavity, and a male partner with total motile sperm count ≥5 million after capacitation. INTERVENTION(S): Gonadotropin stimulation, IUI, randomization to LPS using vaginal progesterone gel (n = 202) or no LPS (n = 191). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy rate, live-birth rate, miscarriage rate, and duration of the luteal phase. RESULT(S): The primary outcome, the clinical pregnancy rate, was not statistically different between the treatment group (16.8%) and the control group (11%) (relative risk [RR] 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-2.67). Similarly, the secondary outcome, the live-birth rate, was 14.9% in the treatment group and 9.4% in the control group (RR 1.60; 95% CI, 0.89-2.87). The mean duration of the luteal phase was about 2 days longer in the treatment group (16.6 ± 2.2 days) compared with the control group (14.6 ± 2.5 days) (mean difference 2.07; 95% CI, 1.58-2.56). CONCLUSION(S): Although a trend toward a higher clinical pregnancy rate as well as live-birth rate was observed in the treatment group, the difference with the control group was not statistically significant. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01826747.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of luteal phase support (LPS) in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles stimulated with gonadotropins. DESIGN: Randomized multicenter trial. SETTING: Academic tertiary care centers and affiliated secondary care centers. PATIENT(S): Three hundred and ninety-three normo-ovulatory patients, <43 years, with body mass index ≤30 kg/m2, in their first IUI cycle, with at least one patent tube, a normal uterine cavity, and a male partner with total motile sperm count ≥5 million after capacitation. INTERVENTION(S): Gonadotropin stimulation, IUI, randomization to LPS using vaginal progesterone gel (n = 202) or no LPS (n = 191). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy rate, live-birth rate, miscarriage rate, and duration of the luteal phase. RESULT(S): The primary outcome, the clinical pregnancy rate, was not statistically different between the treatment group (16.8%) and the control group (11%) (relative risk [RR] 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-2.67). Similarly, the secondary outcome, the live-birth rate, was 14.9% in the treatment group and 9.4% in the control group (RR 1.60; 95% CI, 0.89-2.87). The mean duration of the luteal phase was about 2 days longer in the treatment group (16.6 ± 2.2 days) compared with the control group (14.6 ± 2.5 days) (mean difference 2.07; 95% CI, 1.58-2.56). CONCLUSION(S): Although a trend toward a higher clinical pregnancy rate as well as live-birth rate was observed in the treatment group, the difference with the control group was not statistically significant. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01826747.