Abstract
Purpose: To investigate how late-midluteal estradiol levels relate to the pregnancy outcome in IVF cycles, and to assess whether human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for luteal support benefits the pregnancy outcome of patients with low late-midluteal estradiol levels.
Methods: The pregnancy rate of 436 women undergoing first IVF cycles with long protocol and luteal support with progesterone alone were analyzed. Unsuccessful women with low late-midluteal estradiol levels (<100 pg/mL) proceeded with the exploratory second IVF cycles where they were randomly given with either progesterone alone (P protocol) or hCG +progesterone (P+hCG protocol) for luteal support.
Results: Pregnancy rate in women with low late-midluteal estradiol levels was significantly lower compared to that with medium (100–500 pg/mL) and high (>500 pg/mL) levels (13.3, 26.8, and 36.3%, respectively). P+hCG protocol increased late-midluteal estradiol levels and produced a significantly higher pregnancy rate (31.7%) than P protocol (13.7%).
Conclusions: hCG in combination with progesterone for luteal support was suggested to benefit women undergoing IVF with low late-midluteal estradiol levels.
Keywords: Estradiol, hCG, IVF-ET, luteal support, progesterone
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