title: Administering human chorionic gonadotropin injections for triggering follicle maturation could impact fertility during the subsequent menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the use of a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection as a follicle-maturation trigger affects a patient's reproductive ability during their subsequent menstrual cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients that were infertile undergoing natural-cycle in vitro fertilization at Kato Ladies Clinic, Japan, between March and June 2012 were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Patients who had received fertility treatments other than hCG injections were excluded from the study. The remaining patients were divided into two cohorts; patients who had received injection-administered hCG (study group) and patients who had not received any fertility treatment (control group) during their preceding menstrual cycle. The rates of oocyte retrieval, fertilization, clinical pregnancy, and live deliveries were analyzed using a Fisher exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of successful oocyte-retrieval (P<0.001) and the delivery-rate (P=0.002) were significantly lower in the study group in comparison with the control group. Additionally, the incidence of empty follicles (P<0.001) and degenerated oocytes (P=0.002) was significantly higher in the exposure group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Triggering follicle maturation with hCG during in vitro fertilization could impact patient fertility during their next cycle. Treatment with hCG injection has the potential to influence not only the cycle during which it is administered, but also the subsequent menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: j-fukuda@towako-kato.com.
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007564:Japan; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents
keywords: Follicle maturation trigger; Human chorionic gonadotropin; Iatrogenic infertility; Natural-cycle in vitro fertilization; Persistent follicle; Subsequent menstrual cycle