Table 1.
Characteristics of the treatment groups.
| Variable | Long agonist protocol with OC pretreatment | Short agonist protocol with vaginal estradiol pretreatment | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects | 154 | 144 | — |
| Number of cycles | 157 | 158 | — |
| Mean (SD) age | 32.5 (3.97) | 32.5 (2.96) | 0.68 |
| 95% CI | (31.9–33.1) | (32.1–33.1) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) (SD) | 22.2 (1.3) | 22.4 (1.1) | 0.16 |
| Tubal factor (%) | 44 (27.5) | 47 (29.9) | — |
| Male factor (%) | 58 (36.2) | 55 (35.0) | — |
| Anovulation (%) | 28 (17.5) | 23 (14.6) | — |
| Unexplained (%) | 30 (18.8) | 32 (20.4) | — |
| Mean (SD) duration of infertility (years) | 4.2 (2.8) | 4.3 (2.9) | 0.82 |
| AMH (SD) (ng/mL) | 3.2 (2.5) | 3.3 (2.9) | 0.97 |
| 95% CI | (2.8–3.5) | (2.9–3.8) | |
| Inhibin B (SD) | 60.9 (42.3) | 67.2 (37.4) | 0.14 |
| 95% CI | (52.3–69.5) | (60.8–73.4) | |
| Basal FSH (SD) | 7.4 (2.3) | 8.1 (2.1) | 0.32 |
| Basal LH (SD) | 7.2 (1.8) | 7.1 (1.6) | 0.23 |
| Basal E2 (SD) | 47.1 (13.2) | 47.5 (11.1) | 0.71 |
| DHEA-S (SD) | 204.6 (20.3) | 207.5 (17.8) | 0.57 |
| Testosterone (SD) | 1.3 (0.6) | 1.6 (0.4) | 0.07 |
| SHBG (SD) | 81.3 (18.4) | 67.9 (21.3) | 0.11 |
| AFC (SD) | 17.4 (10.1) | 18.8 (12.5) | 0.58 |
| 95% CI | (15.9–19.1) | (16.7–20.8) |
Values are n (%) or means ± SDs. AMH: anti-Müllerian hormone; BMI: body mass index; AFC: antral follicle count; DHEA-S: dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate; SHBG: steroid hormone-binding globulin.