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Follicular Development and Hormonal Levels Following Highly Purified or Recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Administration in Ovulatory Women and WHO Group II Anovulatory Infertile Patients

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Abstract

Purpose: Our purpose was to compare ovarian performance and hormonal levels, after ovulation induction, in both normal ovulatory women undergoing intrauterine insemination (group 1) and World Health Organization (WHO) group II anovulatory infertile patients (group 2), using two different gonadotropin drugs.

Methods: Patients (n = 20 per group) were treated during consecutive cycles, using the same stimulation protocol, with highly purified urinary FSH (HP-FSH) in the first treatment study cycle and recombinant FSH (rFSH) in the second one. Patients in group 1 were treated according to a late low-dose technique, and WHO group II anovulatory patients (group 2) received chronic low-dose FSH therapy.

Results: Compared with HP-FSH, treatment with rFSH in group 2 required significantly less ampules of drug to induce follicular development but resulted in significantly higher plasma levels of estradiol and inhibin A on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin injection. No differences were found when both treatment modalities were compared in group 1.

Conclusions: rFSH is more efficacious than urinary HP-FSH for ovulation induction in WHO group II anovulatory infertile patients as assessed by follicular development, hormonal levels, and the amount of FSH required.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic i Provincial-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS);, Barcelona, Spain

    Juan Balasch, Francisco Fábregues, Joana Peñarrubia, Montserrat Creus, Ricard Vidal, Dolors Manau & Juan A. Vanrell

  2. Hormonal Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic i Provincial-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS);, Barcelona, Spain

    Roser Casamitjana

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  1. Juan Balasch
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Balasch, J., Fábregues, F., Peñarrubia, J. et al. Follicular Development and Hormonal Levels Following Highly Purified or Recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Administration in Ovulatory Women and WHO Group II Anovulatory Infertile Patients. J Assist Reprod Genet 15, 552–559 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022586221077

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