Timing of Estrogen Support During the Luteal Phase of in Vitro Fertilization (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Cycle

Infertility Clinical Trial

Official title:

Timing of Estrogen Support During the Luteal Phase of IVF / Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Cycle: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01367912
• Other study ID #: ZTB
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: June 3, 2011
• Last updated: June 6, 2011
• Start date: February 2008
• Est. completion date: November 2008

Study information

• Verified date: November 2008
• Source: Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Turkey: Ministry of Health
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

To test the hypothesis that adding estradiol (E2) to progesterone supplementation later in the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, rather than earlier in the luteal phase, improves clinical pregnancy rates (PRs).

Description:

Several studies reported that elevated E2 may have a detrimental effect on endometrial receptivity and embryo. This conflict was the starting point of our study. The investigators thought that this luteal decrease in E2 level could be prevented by adding estradiol just before the receptivity window is open, instead of adding earlier in the luteal phase which could result in defective embryo implantation.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 301
• Est. completion date: November 2008
• Est. primary completion date: November 2008
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: N/A to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients on long GnRH agonist protocol with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation who were seen in our IVF clinic between February and November 2008, and who have E2 levels on the day of hCG administration >2500 pg/dl

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of azoospermia requiring testicular sperm extraction procedure

• endometriosis greater than stage II

• unilateral oophorectomy, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

• secondary infertility

• age greater than 40 yrs and a basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level higher than 12 mIU/ml were exclusion criteria

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Infertility

Intervention

Drug:
• estradiol tablet
received 2 mg estradiol tablets orally two times daily beginning from the first day after hCG injection, in addition to vaginal progesterone gel
• estradiol tablet
received 2 mg estradiol tablets orally two times daily beginning from the fifth day after hCG injection, in addition to vaginal progesterone gel.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Turkey	Zekai Tahir Burak Maternity and Teaching Hospital	Ankara

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Turkey, 

References & Publications (30)

Bergh PA, Navot D. The impact of embryonic development and endometrial maturity on the timing of implantation. Fertil Steril. 1992 Sep;58(3):537-42. — View Citation

Buvat J, Marcolin G, Guittard C, Dehaene JL, Herbaut JC, Louvet AL. [Luteal support after administration of an LHRH analog for in vitro fertilization. Superiority of vaginal progesterone in comparison with oral progesterone]. Presse Med. 1990 Mar 24;19(11):527. French. — View Citation

Causio F, Leonetti T. Luteal phase support with estrogen and progesterone in in vitro fertilization cycles using GnRHa and FSH. Gior Ital Ostet Ginecol 1997; 19: 277-82.

Daya S, Gunby J. Luteal phase support in assisted reproduction cycles. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD004830. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(3):CD004830. — View Citation

Devreker F, Govaerts I, Bertrand E, Van den Bergh M, Gervy C, Englert Y. The long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues impaired the implantation rate. Fertil Steril. 1996 Jan;65(1):122-6. — View Citation

Elnashar AM, Aboul-Enein GI. Endometrial receptivity. Middle East Fertil Soc J 2004; 9 (1): 10-24).

Engmann L, DiLuigi A, Schmidt D, Benadiva C, Maier D, Nulsen J. The effect of luteal phase vaginal estradiol supplementation on the success of in vitro fertilization treatment: a prospective randomized study. Fertil Steril. 2008 Mar;89(3):554-61. Epub 2007 Aug 2. — View Citation

Farhi J, Weissman A, Steinfeld Z, Shorer M, Nahum H, Levran D. Estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase may improve the pregnancy rate in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Fertil Steril. 2000 Apr;73(4):761-6. — View Citation

Fauser BC, Devroey P. Reproductive biology and IVF: ovarian stimulation and luteal phase consequences. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jul;14(5):236-42. Review. — View Citation

Gelbaya TA, Kyrgiou M, Tsoumpou I, Nardo LG. The use of estradiol for luteal phase support in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2008 Dec;90(6):2116-25. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.10.053. Epub 2008 Jan 7. Review. — View Citation

Gorkemli H, Ak D, Akyurek C, Aktan M, Duman S. Comparison of pregnancy outcomes of progesterone or progesterone + estradiol for luteal phase support in ICSI-ET cycles. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2004;58(3):140-4. Epub 2004 Jun 15. — View Citation

Jee BC, Suh CS, Kim SH, Kim YB, Moon SY. Effects of estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization cycles: a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2010 Feb;93(2):428-36. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.02.033. Epub 2009 Apr 1. — View Citation

Kolibianakis EM, Devroey P. The luteal phase after ovarian stimulation. Reprod Biomed Online. 2002;5 Suppl 1:26-35. Review. — View Citation

Kolibianakis EM, Venetis CA, Papanikolaou EG, Diedrich K, Tarlatzis BC, Griesinger G. Estrogen addition to progesterone for luteal phase support in cycles stimulated with GnRH analogues and gonadotrophins for IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2008 Jun;23(6):1346-54. doi: 10.1093/humrep/den115. Epub 2008 Apr 11. Review. — View Citation

Lewin A, Benshushan A, Mezker E, Yanai N, Schenker JG, Goshen R. The role of estrogen support during the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization-embryo transplant cycles: a comparative study between progesterone alone and estrogen and progesterone support. Fertil Steril. 1994 Jul;62(1):121-5. — View Citation

Lukaszuk K, Liss J, Lukaszuk M, Maj B. Optimization of estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase improves the pregnancy rate in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Fertil Steril. 2005 May;83(5):1372-6. — View Citation

Muasher S, Acosta AA, Garcia JE, Jones GS, Jones HW Jr. Luteal phase serum estradiol and progesterone in in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 1984 Jun;41(6):838-43. — View Citation

Pouly JL, Piekrishvili R, Beaume-BrugonF, Schubert B, Janny L. Luteal phase supplementation with oestrogens doesn't improve the IVF pregnancy rate: a randomized study. Hum Reprod 2005; 20:O- 195.

Pritts EA, Atwood AK. Luteal phase support in infertility treatment: a meta-analysis of the randomized trials. Hum Reprod. 2002 Sep;17(9):2287-99. Review. — View Citation

Rashidi BH, Asheghan H, Jafarabadi M, Tehrani NE. The role of estrogen supplementation during the luteal phase in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles: a comparative study between progesterone and estrogen plus progesterone support. Proceedings o

Serna J, Cholquevilque JL, Cela V, Martínez-Salazar J, Requena A, Garcia-Velasco JA. Estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase of IVF-ICSI patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2008 Dec;90(6):2190-5. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.10.021. Epub 2008 Jan 14. — View Citation

Smitz J, Bourgain C, Van Waesberghe L, Camus M, Devroey P, Van Steirteghem AC. A prospective randomized study on oestradiol valerate supplementation in addition to intravaginal micronized progesterone in buserelin and HMG induced superovulation. Hum Reprod. 1993 Jan;8(1):40-5. — View Citation

Smitz J, Devroey P, Camus M, Deschacht J, Khan I, Staessen C, Van Waesberghe L, Wisanto A, Van Steirteghem AC. The luteal phase and early pregnancy after combined GnRH-agonist/HMG treatment for superovulation in IVF or GIFT. Hum Reprod. 1988 Jul;3(5):585-90. — View Citation

Tay PY, Lenton EA. Inhibition of progesterone secretion by oestradiol administered in the luteal phase of assisted conception cycles. Med J Malaysia. 2003 Jun;58(2):187-95. — View Citation

Tonguc E, Var T, Ozyer S, Citil A, Dogan M. Estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization cycles: a prospective randomised study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2011 Feb;154(2):172-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2010.10.003. Epu — View Citation

Ubaldi F, Bourgain C, Tournaye H, Smitz J, Van Steirteghem A, Devroey P. Endometrial evaluation by aspiration biopsy on the day of oocyte retrieval in the embryo transfer cycles in patients with serum progesterone rise during the follicular phase. Fertil Steril. 1997 Mar;67(3):521-6. — View Citation

Valbuena D, Martin J, de Pablo JL, Remohí J, Pellicer A, Simón C. Increasing levels of estradiol are deleterious to embryonic implantation because they directly affect the embryo. Fertil Steril. 2001 Nov;76(5):962-8. — View Citation

Vlahos NF, Lipari CW, Bankowski B, Lai TH, King JA, Shih IeM, Fragakis K, Zhao Y. Effect of luteal-phase support on endometrial L-selectin ligand expression after recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and ganirelix acetate for in vitro fertilization. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Oct;91(10):4043-9. Epub 2006 Jul 25. — View Citation

Yang JH, Chen HF, Lien YR, Chen SU, Ho HN, Yang YS. Elevated E2: oocyte ratio in women undergoing IVF and tubal ET. Correlation with a decrease in the implantation rate. J Reprod Med. 2001 May;46(5):434-8. — View Citation

Younis JS, Ezra Y, Sherman Y, Simon A, Schenker JG, Laufer N. The effect of estradiol depletion during the luteal phase on endometrial development. Fertil Steril. 1994 Jul;62(1):103-7. — View Citation

* Note: There are 30 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Clinical pregnancy rate	Clinical pregnancies were detected with the confirmation of positive fetal cardiac activities by transvaginal sonography in the sixth gestational week.	sixth gestational week.	No