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Comparing the efficacy of urinary and recombinant hCG on oocyte/follicle ratio to trigger ovulation in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a randomized controlled trial

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

To compare the number of oocytes per follicles in ovulation induction with 10,000 IU urinary hCG (uhCG) and two different doses of recombinant hCG (rhCG) in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Methods

This study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial which was performed on 180 primary infertile women undergoing ICSI cycles. All eligible patients underwent a standard GnRH-a long protocol. When at least two follicles reached a diameter of 18 mm, all patients were randomized to receive 10,000 IU urinary hCG or 250 μg recombinant hCG or 500 μg recombinant hCG for ovulation induction. Primary outcome measure included the number of oocytes retrieved per aspirated follicles. Secondary outcome measures were the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of mature oocytes, the number and quality of generated embryos, fertilization rate, implantation rate, chemical and clinical pregnancy rates and OHSS occurrence rate.

Results

The mean number of retrieved oocytes per follicles were 71.82 ± 15.09, 69.84 ± 17.44 and 77.16 ± 17.61 in 10,000 IU uhCG, 250 μg rhCG and 500 μg rhCG, respectively which was significantly higher with 500 μg rhCG than the lower dose(P = .04). Other cycles and clinical outcomes were comparable between groups.

Conclusion

Recombinant hCG shows equivalent efficacy to urinary hCG in terms of the number of oocytes per aspirated follicles in selected patients undergoing ICSI; however, 500 μg rhCG seems to be more advantageous than the lower dose in this indication. Larger randomized trials are needed to generalize this strategy.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01507376.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to extend our special thanks to Shabnam Khodabakhshi and Azam Sanati for their help in data collection and data entry.

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Correspondence to Ladan Mohammadi Yeganeh.

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Capsule

Recombinant hCG shows equivalent efficacy to urinary hCG in terms of the number of oocytes per aspirated follicles in selected patients undergoing ICSI; however, 500 μg rhCG seems to be more advantageous than the lower dose in this indication.

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Madani, T., Mohammadi Yeganeh, L., Ezabadi, Z. et al. Comparing the efficacy of urinary and recombinant hCG on oocyte/follicle ratio to trigger ovulation in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a randomized controlled trial. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 239–245 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9919-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9919-3

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