Increasing clinical pregnancy rates after IVF/ET. Can immunosuppression help?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunosuppression as an adjunct to improving the success of in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF-ET).


METHODS
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.


RESULTS
Seventy-five patients were randomized to receive either prednisone (39 patients, 51%) or placebo (36 patients, 49%). Patients in both groups had similar ages and numbers of preembryos transferred.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were higher in the prednisone group (16% vs. 11% and 43.5% vs. 32.3%, respectively). However, these differences did not achieve statistical significance. Evaluation of the ongoing pregnancy rate revealed little difference between the prednisone-treated patients (30.7%) and those receiving placebo (28.0%). There were no side effects reported by patients in either group.
Mottla
G L
GL
Montgomery Fertility Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, USA.
Smotrich
D B
DB
Gindoff
P R
PR
Stillman
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000592:standards*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone; D008775:Methylprednisolone