Samuel Santos-Ribeiro1, Annalisa Racca2, Caroline Roelens3, Neelke De Munck3, Shari Mackens3, Panagiotis Drakopoulos4, Herman Tournaye3, Christophe Blockeel5. 1. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels 1090, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Santa Maria University Hospital, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, Lisbon 1649-035, Portugal. Electronic address: samueldsribeiro@gmail.com. 2. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels 1090, Belgium; Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy. 3. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels 1090, Belgium. 4. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels 1090, Belgium; Department of Surgical and Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels 1090, Belgium; Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of Liège, Boulevard du XIIième de Ligne 1, Liège 4000, Belgium. 5. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels 1090, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, Zagreb 10000, Croatia.
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION: Progesterone overproduction during ovarian stimulation is associated with lower live birth rates (LBR) after fresh embryo transfer. Therefore, circulating P concentrations on the day of HCG administration are frequently measured in clinical practice and followed by an elective cryopreservation strategy whenever late-follicular elevated P (LFEP) occurs. A recent study concluded that the duration of LFEP >1.00 ng/mL prior to HCG administration may also affect clinical pregnancy rates. The objective of this current study was to assess whether this hypothesis was reproducible using LBR as the primary outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis including women undergoing IVF/ICSI between 2010-2015. LBR were compared among different P elevation duration subgroups (0, 1 or >1 day) using two LFEP thresholds (>1.00 ng/mL and >1.50 ng/mL). RESULTS: The duration of LFEP >1.00 ng/mL was not associated with a significant decrease in LBR according to whether the patient had LFEP lasting for 0, 1 or >1 days (29.9%, 30.3% and 26.3%, respectively). Conversely, when using >1.50 ng/mL as the LFEP threshold, LBR decreased significantly (30.3% 20.4% and 20.5%, respectively). However, the relative frequency of having LFEP >1.50 ng/mL for >1 day was exceedingly rare (1.9%) and the additional benefit of evaluating LFEP beyond the day of HCG triggering no longer remained statistically significant after confounder-adjustment with multivariable regression analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a lack of benefit in measuring serum P in the days preceding HCG administration, since LBR in women with LFEP >1 day do not vary significantly from those with LFEP detected only on the day of HCG administration.
RESEARCH QUESTION: Progesterone overproduction during ovarian stimulation is associated with lower live birth rates (LBR) after fresh embryo transfer. Therefore, circulating P concentrations on the day of HCG administration are frequently measured in clinical practice and followed by an elective cryopreservation strategy whenever late-follicular elevated P (LFEP) occurs. A recent study concluded that the duration of LFEP >1.00 ng/mL prior to HCG administration may also affect clinical pregnancy rates. The objective of this current study was to assess whether this hypothesis was reproducible using LBR as the primary outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis including women undergoing IVF/ICSI between 2010-2015. LBR were compared among different P elevation duration subgroups (0, 1 or >1 day) using two LFEP thresholds (>1.00 ng/mL and >1.50 ng/mL). RESULTS: The duration of LFEP >1.00 ng/mL was not associated with a significant decrease in LBR according to whether the patient had LFEP lasting for 0, 1 or >1 days (29.9%, 30.3% and 26.3%, respectively). Conversely, when using >1.50 ng/mL as the LFEP threshold, LBR decreased significantly (30.3% 20.4% and 20.5%, respectively). However, the relative frequency of having LFEP >1.50 ng/mL for >1 day was exceedingly rare (1.9%) and the additional benefit of evaluating LFEP beyond the day of HCG triggering no longer remained statistically significant after confounder-adjustment with multivariable regression analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a lack of benefit in measuring serum P in the days preceding HCG administration, since LBR in women with LFEP >1 day do not vary significantly from those with LFEP detected only on the day of HCG administration.
Authors: P Merviel; S Bouée; A S Jacamon; J J Chabaud; M T Le Martelot; S Roche; C Rince; H Drapier; A Perrin; D Beauvillard Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2021-05-06 Impact factor: 3.007