The luteal phase of nonsupplemented cycles after ovarian superovulation with human menopausal gonadotropin and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist Cetrorelix.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the luteal phase of six patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with hMG and a new GnRH antagonist, Cetrorelix, without receiving luteal phase supplementation.
DESIGN: Phase II study involving the first six patients who did not receive luteal phase support.
SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENT(S): Six healthy women undergoing COH for assisted reproductive techniques. INTERVENTION(S): Oocyte retrieval was performed 36 hours after hCG administration, followed by embryo transfer 2 days later. No luteal phase supplementation was given. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum E2, progesterone, LH, and FSH concentrations were measured. RESULT(S): The length of the luteal phase was < or =12 days in three of the six patients. One of the patients in whom the luteal phase was >12 days had a low serum progesterone concentration (2.9 ng/mL) on day 10. Serum LH concentrations decreased after the preovulatory hCG injection in all patients. However, a progressive increase in LH was observed after day 7, reaching normal values. CONCLUSION(S): Corpus luteum function seems to be impaired in cycles that are stimulated with hMG and the GnRH antagonist Cetrorelix.