title: Luteal phase support with progesterone in intrauterine insemination: a prospective randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of vaginal progesterone as luteal support on pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients who undergo ovulation induction with gonadotropins and intrauterine insemination (IUI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  About 398 patients with primary infertility were treated during 893 ovarian stimulation and IUI cycles from February 2010 to September 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients underwent ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins combined with IUI. Patients in the supported group received vaginal micronized progesterone capsules 200 mg once daily from the day after insemination until next menstruation or continuing for up to 8 weeks of pregnancy. Women allocated in the control group did not receive luteal phase support.
  
  
  METHODS
  Livebirth rate, clinical pregnancy rate and early miscarriage rate per cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 893 cycles, a total of 111 clinical pregnancies occurred. There were no significant differences between supported with progesterone and unsupported cycle in terms of livebirth rate (10.2% versus 8.3%, respectively, with a p value = 0.874) and clinical pregnancy rate (13.8% compared with 11.0% in unsupported cycle with a p value = 0.248). An early miscarriage rate of 3.6% was observed in the supported cycles and 2.7% in the unsupported cycles, with no significant differences between the groups (p value = 0.874).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In infertile patients treated with mildly ovarian stimulation with recombinant gonadotropins and IUI, luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone is not associated with higher livebirth rate or clinical pregnancy rate compared with patients who did not receive any luteal phase support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Reina Sofía" University Hospital , Córdoba , Spain and.
authors.forename: María Inmaculada
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Romero Nieto
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorente González
authors.forename: José Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Arjona-Berral
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Muñoz-Villanueva
authors.forename: Camil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000328:Adult; D001723:Birth Rate; D002214:Capsules; D003340:Corpus Luteum Maintenance / Q000187:drug effects*; D004339:Drug Compounding; D005260:Female; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy*; D007316:Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011372:Progestins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D011372:Progestins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011374:Progesterone