title: Preovulatory progesterone concentration associates significantly to follicle number and LH concentration but not to pregnancy rate.
abstract: Using data from a large prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effect of recombinant LH (rLH)co-administration for ovarian stimulation, the present study assessed whether progesterone concentration on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration was associated with pregnancy outcome. Progesterone concentration was measured on stimulation day 1 and on the day of HCG administration in 475 patients who underwent IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment following ovarian stimulation with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist and recombinant FSH with or without rLH administration from day 6 of stimulation. There was no significant association between the late-follicular-phase progesterone concentration and the clinical pregnancy rate. However, progesterone concentration was strongly associated with the number of follicles and retrieved oocytes. Late-follicular-phase LH concentration also showed a significant positive association with progesterone concentration (P = 0.018). Administration of rLH during ovarian stimulation did not affect progesterone concentration. The present study does not support an association between progesterone concentration on the day of HCG administration and the probability of clinical pregnancy in women undergoing ovarian stimulation with GnRH agonists and gonadotrophins for assisted reproduction treatment.Instead, late-follicular-phase progesterone concentration appears to be governed by the number of preovulatory follicles and LH concentration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Section 5712, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. yding@rh.dk
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yding Andersen
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bungum
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyboe Andersen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Humaidan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone