title: Recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone as a pretreatment for idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of recombinant human FSH pretreatment in improving fertilization and pregnancy rates in oligozoospermic patients who are undergoing ICSI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, controlled, clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A research institute's reproductive unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three subjects with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia who failed to conceive after previous ICSI attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment with recombinant human FSH 150 IU for 3 months (23 patients) or no treatment (10 patients); clinical, hormonal, and seminal evaluation before and after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testicular volume, sperm parameters, FSH, LH, T, E(2), and inhibin B plasma levels, E/T ratio, and fertilization and pregnancy rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with 150 IU of FSH induced a significant increase in testicular volume and sperm parameters. The mean fertilization rate (FR) after ICSI cycles was higher, although not significantly, in treated patients when compared with controls (62.3 +/- 22.4 vs. 47.2 +/- 20.4). A strong negative correlation was observed between FR and serum FSH, inhibin B and E/T ratio in controls, whereas in treated patients, FR correlated with posttreatment inhibin B levels. The pregnancy rate in the entire treated group was 30.4%. No pregnancies were recorded in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recombinant human FSH may be a valuable pretreatment for oligozoospermic patients undergoing ICSI and may influence testicular paracrine activity.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione Umana, IRCCS S. de Bellis, Castellana Grotte, Ba, Italy. ecaroppo@tesseo.it
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caroppo
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niederberger
authors.forename: Giovanni Michele
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Vizziello
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008677:Metaphase; D008875:Middle Aged; D009845:Oligospermia; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone