Abstract
Purpose: Our purpose was to assess if periovulatory serum progesterone is reflective of ovarian responsiveness in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).
Methods: One-hundred forty-two in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer cycles in women using GnRH-a suppression and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) stimulation were evaluated. Responses were studied according to ovarian response to hMG and age. Outcome measures included peak serum estradiol, serum progesterone and estrogen/progesterone ratios on the day of hCG injection, number of harvested oocytes, fertilization rates, and delivered pregnancy rates.
Results: A periovulatory rise in serum progesterone (>0.9 ng/ml) occurred only among younger women (<40 years old) with a good response (P<0.05). Though the number of oocytes was greater in good responders, fertilization and pregnancy rates were similar among all women regardless of age and ovarian response.
Conclusions: Periovulatory levels of serum progesterone vary according to ovarian response to COH. Elevations in progesterone do not appear to be a manifestation of poor responders. Reduced periovulatory progesterone may reflect inadequate steroidogenesis.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Silverberg KM, Martin M, Olive DL, Burns WN, Schenken RS: Elevated serum progesterone levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration in in-vitro fertilization cycles do not adversely affect embryo quality. Fertil Steril 1994;61:508–513
Hofmann GE, Bentzien F, Bergh PA, Garrisi GJ, Williams MC, Guzman I: Premature luteinization in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation has no adverse effect on oocyte and embryo quality. Fertil Steril 1993;60:675–679
Givens CR, Schriok ED, Dandekar PV, Martin MC: Elevated serum progesterone levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration do not predict outcome in assisted reproduction cycles. Fertil Steril 1994;62:1011–1017
Legro RS, Ary BA, Paulson RJ, Stanczyk FZ, Sauer MV: Premature luteinization as detected by elevated serum progesterone is associated with higher pregnancy rate in donor oocyte in vitro fertilization. Hum Reprod 1993;8:1506–1511
Lindheim SR, Chang PL, Ditkoff EC, Sauer MV: Increases in serum progesterone after human chorionic gonadotropin are not predictive of cycle outcome during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Assist Reprod Rev 1997;7:134–136
Fanchin R, de Zeigler D, Taieb J, Hazout A, Frydman R: Premature elevation of plasma progesterone alters pregnancy rates of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Fertil Steril 1993;59:1090–1094
Schoolcraft W, Sinton E, Schlenker T, Huynh D, Hamilton F, Meldrum DR: Lower pregnancy rate with premature luteinization during pituitary suppression with leuprolide. Fertil Steril 1991;55:563–556
Younis JS, Haddad S, Matilsky M, Ben-Ami M: Premature luteinization: could it be an early manifestation of low ovarian reserve. Fertil Steril 1998;69:461–465
Fanchin R, Righini C, Olivennes F, Ferreira AL, de Ziegler D, Frydman R: Consequences of premature progesterone elevation on the outcome of in vitro fertilization: Insights into a controversy. Fertil Steril 1997;68:799–805
Prien SD, Canez MS, Messer RH: Increases in progesterone after human chorionic gonadotropin administration may predict cycle outcome in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Fertil Steril 1994;62:1066–1068
Hsiung CH, Karow WG, Gentry WC, Pope AK, Lee TT: Tripling of serum progesterone (P4) and embryo morphological features in conception and nonconception cycles after human in vitro fertilization. J Vitro Fert Embryo Transfer 1988;5:161–166
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lindheim, S.R., Cohen, M.A., Chang, P.L. et al. Serum Progesterone Before and After Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Injection Depends on the Estradiol Response to Ovarian Hyperstimulation During In Vitro Fertilization–Embryo Transfer Cycles. J Assist Reprod Genet 16, 242–246 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020311328182
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020311328182