title: Comparing intramuscular progesterone, vaginal progesterone and 17 -hydroxyprogestrone caproate in IVF and ICSI cycle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Supplementation of luteal phase with progesterone is prescribed for women undergoing routine IVF treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of three types of progesterone on biochemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates and abortion and live birth rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized study was performed at Royan Institute between March 2008 and March 2009 in women under 40 years old, who use GnRH analog down-regulation. One hundred eighty six patients in three groups were received progesterone in oil (100 mg, IM daily), intravaginal progesterone (400 mg, twice daily) and 17-α hydroxyprogestrone caproate (375mg, every three days), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Final statistical analysis after withdrawal of some patients was performed in 50, 50 and 53 patients in group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. No differences between the groups were found in baseline characteristics. No statistical significance different was discovered for biochemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancies. Although the abortion rate was statistically higher in group 1 (p=0.025) the live birth rate was not statistically significant between the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effects of three types of progesterone were similar on pregnancies rate. We suggest the use of intravaginal progesterone during the luteal phase in patients undergoing an IVF-ET program because of the low numbers of abortions, and high ongoing pregnancy rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Royan Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moini
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Royan Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. ; Department of Reproductive Imaging, Royan Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zafarani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Royan Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Royan Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kamyabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Royan Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jahangiri
keywords: Invitrofertilization; Lutealphase; Pregnancy; Progesterone