C H Kim1, H D Chae, B M Kang, Y S Chang, J E Mok. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the immunotherapy with corticosteroids would improve the pregnancy rate in infertile patients with endometriosis who undergo in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS:Forty-two infertile patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor and 87 pure tubal infertility patients who underwent IVF-ET in our unit were allocated randomly to the corticosteroid treatment group and the control group. RESULTS: The prevalence of autoantibodies (antinuclear antibody, lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibody, rheumatoid factor) was elevated significantly in patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor compared with pure tubal infertility patients (38.1% vs 2.3%). Twenty-one patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor underwent 54 cycles ofIVF-ET, receiving corticosteroids. Forty-three patients with pure tubal factor underwent 81 cycles of IVF-ET, receivingcorticosteroids. Twenty-one patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor who underwent 57 cycles ofIVF-ETand 44 patients with pure tubal factor who underwent 84 cycles ofIVF-ET served as controls, not receiving corticosteroids. In patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor, there was a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate per cycle in the treatment group, with 42.6% (23/54) compared with 22.8% (13/57) in the control group but no differences between 2 groups in spontaneous abortion rate (21.7% vs 15.4%) and multiple pregnancy rate (17.4% vs 15.4%). In patients with pure tubal infertility, there were no significant differences between the treatment group and control group in clinical pregnancy rate (40.7% vs 34.5%), spontaneous abortion rate (12.1% vs 10.3%) or multiple pregnancy rate (18.2% vs 10.3%). In the endometriosis plus tubal infertility group with autoantibodies, the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was significantly higher in the treatment group at 40.9% compared with 14.8% in the control group. In endometriosis plus tubal infertility group without autoantibodies, there was no significant difference between 2 groups with respect to the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle (43.8% vs 30.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that immunotherapy with corticosteroids could improve the clinical pregnancy rate in endometriosis patients undergoing IVF-ET and may be more effective in patients with positive autoantibodies.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the immunotherapy with corticosteroids would improve the pregnancy rate in infertilepatients with endometriosis who undergo in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS: Forty-two infertilepatients with endometriosis plus tubal factor and 87 pure tubal infertilitypatients who underwent IVF-ET in our unit were allocated randomly to the corticosteroid treatment group and the control group. RESULTS: The prevalence of autoantibodies (antinuclear antibody, lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibody, rheumatoid factor) was elevated significantly in patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor compared with pure tubal infertilitypatients (38.1% vs 2.3%). Twenty-one patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor underwent 54 cycles of IVF-ET, receiving corticosteroids. Forty-three patients with pure tubal factor underwent 81 cycles of IVF-ET, receiving corticosteroids. Twenty-one patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor who underwent 57 cycles of IVF-ET and 44 patients with pure tubal factor who underwent 84 cycles of IVF-ET served as controls, not receiving corticosteroids. In patients with endometriosis plus tubal factor, there was a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate per cycle in the treatment group, with 42.6% (23/54) compared with 22.8% (13/57) in the control group but no differences between 2 groups in spontaneous abortion rate (21.7% vs 15.4%) and multiple pregnancy rate (17.4% vs 15.4%). In patients with pure tubal infertility, there were no significant differences between the treatment group and control group in clinical pregnancy rate (40.7% vs 34.5%), spontaneous abortion rate (12.1% vs 10.3%) or multiple pregnancy rate (18.2% vs 10.3%). In the endometriosis plus tubal infertility group with autoantibodies, the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was significantly higher in the treatment group at 40.9% compared with 14.8% in the control group. In endometriosis plus tubal infertility group without autoantibodies, there was no significant difference between 2 groups with respect to the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle (43.8% vs 30.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that immunotherapy with corticosteroids could improve the clinical pregnancy rate in endometriosispatients undergoing IVF-ET and may be more effective in patients with positive autoantibodies.
Authors: Radosław B Maksym; Marta Hoffmann-Młodzianowska; Milena Skibińska; Michał Rabijewski; Andrzej Mackiewicz; Claudine Kieda Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2021-12-15 Impact factor: 4.241