Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.
Presence of LH in gonadotropins associated with higher IVF pregnancy rates when basal serum LH is increased
Purpose: To determine if pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) correlate with the presence or not of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the gonadotropins used for stimulation. Furthermore to see if the early follicular phase serum LH level affects pregnancy outcome according to the type of gonadotropins used. Methods: The type of gonadotropins were prescribed randomly according to finances and convenience. Serum LH was obtained on day 2 or 3 of the menstrual cycle.
Results: When LH was >the median, significantly higher pregnancy rates were obtained in those treated with the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)/human menopausal gonadotropin combination. When LH was ≤ the median, significantly more oocytes were retrieved with FSH exclusively. No confounding variables were found to explain the data. Conclusions: Considering concerns of published studies that LH may have a toxic effect on pregnancy outcome, and if LH is suppressed too low, gonadotropins with exclusive FSH may not stimulate sufficient oocytes, the results were opposite to expectations.