title: The role of purified follicle stimulating hormone therapy in the male partner before intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of long-term purified FSH (pFSH) therapy in male partners before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large university-based IVF unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight patients made up the study and control groups (39 patients each). All patients had severe male factor infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Induction of ovulation, oocyte retrieval, ICSI, and ET were carried out in both groups. In the study group, male partners received pFSH (75 IU FSH, <1 IU LH) for > or = 50 days before oocyte retrieval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertilization rate, embryo quality, implantation and pregnancy rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fertilization and pregnancy rates were higher in the study group (68% and 35.9%, respectively) were higher than in the control group (59% and 17.9%, respectively), although the differences did not reach statistical significance. The implantation rate was significantly higher in the study group (15.5% versus 6.5%). The study group showed a trend toward a higher number of better-quality embryos per transfer (mean +/- SD, 2.2 +/- 1.6 versus 1.6 +/- 1.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Purified FSH therapy in male partners before ICSI improves implantation rate. Improved embryo quality may be a contributory factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rabin Medical Center (Golda Campus), Petah Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashkenazi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bar-Hava
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farhi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feldberg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orvieto
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ben-Rafael
mesh_terms: D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone