title: Mid-luteal estradiol levels of poor/good responders and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess mid-luteal estradiol (E2) levels in poor and good responders and determine its effect on the outcome after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study was carried out in females who underwent ICSI from June 2011 to September 2013 in "Islamabad Clinic Serving Infertile Couples". They were categorized into good and poor responders on the basis of female age ≤40 years, basal follicle stimulating hormone ≤12 mIU/ml, and antral follicle count >5, respectively. Their mid-luteal E2 measured on the day of embryo transfer was stratified into groups (A-E) on the basis of 20th, 40th, 60th and 80th percentile values. The outcome was categorized into non-pregnant with beta human chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) 5-25 m IU/ml, and clinical pregnancy with beta hCG>25 m IU/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The conception rate was 12% (63/513) in poor responders and 72% (237/329) in good responders respectively. The mid-luteal E2 levels were higher in conception as compared to non-conception cycles (p<0.001) in good and poor responders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maximum pregnancies in poor and good responders (53% and 98% respectively) with mid-luteal E2 levels above 80thpercentiles confirm the role of the increase in mid-luteal E2 for augmentation in conception rate of females after ICSI.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Rehana Rehman, MBBS, M.Phil, PhD Physiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rehana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.affiliation: Dr. Sundus Tariq, MBBS, M.Phil. Assistant Professor of Physiology, University Medical & Dental College, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sundus
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.affiliation: Dr. Saba Tariq, MBBS, M.Phil. Assistant Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics University Medical & Dental College, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.affiliation: Dr. Muhammad Faisal Hashmi, MBBS. Postgraduate Trainee, Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hashmi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Mukhtiar Baig, MBBS, M.Phil, PhD. Professor of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mukhtiar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baig
keywords: Good responders; ICSI; Infertility; Mid-luteal E2; Poor responders