Follicular development and hormonal levels following highly purified or recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone administration in ovulatory women and WHO group II anovulatory infertile patients.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to compare ovarian performance and hormonal levels, after ovulation induction, in both normal ovulatory women undergoing intrauterine insemination (group 1) and World Health Organization (WHO) group II anovulatory infertile patients (group 2), using two different gonadotropin drugs.


METHODS
Patients (n = 20 per group) were treated during consecutive cycles, using the same stimulation protocol, with highly purified urinary FSH (HP-FSH) in the first treatment study cycle and recombinant FSH (rFSH) in the second one. Patients in group 1 were treated according to a late low-dose technique, and WHO group II anovulatory patients (group 2) received chronic low-dose FSH therapy.


RESULTS
Compared with HP-FSH, treatment with rFSH in group 2 required significantly less ampules of drug to induce follicular development but resulted in significantly higher plasma levels of estradiol and inhibin A on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin injection. No differences were found when both treatment modalities were compared in group 1.


CONCLUSIONS
rFSH is more efficacious than urinary HP-FSH for ovulation induction in WHO group II anovulatory infertile patients as assessed by follicular development, hormonal levels, and the amount of FSH required.
Balasch
J
J
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic i Provincial-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Spain.
Fábregues
F
F
Peñarrubia
J
J
Creus
M
M
Vidal
R
R
Casamitjana
R
R
Manau
D
D
Vanrell
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000858:Anovulation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D007265:Inhibins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone