Volume 17, Issue 9 (September 2019)                   IJRM 2019, 17(9): 653-660 | Back to browse issues page

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Moini A, Lavasani Z, Kashani L, Farid Mojtahedi M, Yamini N. Letrozole as co-treatment agent in ovarian stimulation antagonist protocol in poor responders: A double-blind randomized clinical trial. IJRM 2019; 17 (9) :653-660
URL: http://ijrm.ir/article-1-1646-en.html
Letrozole as co-treatment agent in ovarian stimulation antagonist protocol in poor responders: A double-blind randomized clinical trial
Ashraf Moini1 , Zohreh Lavasani2 , Ladan Kashani * 3, Maryam Farid Mojtahedi3 , Nazila Yamini4
1- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Infertility Ward, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Infertility Ward, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- IVF Department, Embryology Lab, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:   (5393 Views)
Abstract
Background: Ovarian stimulation (OS) for poor ovarian response (POR) patients is still a major challenge in assisted reproductive techniques. Aromatase inhibitors as co-treatment in antagonist protocol are suggested to these patients, but there are controversial reports.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness Letrozole (LZ) as adjuvant treatment in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-antagonist protocol in POR patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.
Materials and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in Arash women's hospital. One hundred sixty infertile women with POR based on Bologna criteria were allocated into two groups randomly: LZ + GnRH-antagonist (LA) and placebo + GnRH-antagonist (PA) groups. In the experimental group, the patients received 5 mg LZ on the first five days of OS with 150 IU of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) and 150 IU of human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG). The cycle outcomes were compared between groups.
Result: The total number of retrieved oocytes and the metaphase II oocytes in LA-treated group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p = 0.008, p = 0.002). The dosage of hMG used and the duration of OS and antagonist administration in LZ-treated group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The number of patients with no oocyte, in the control group, was higher than the LZ-treated group, and the clinical pregnancy rate in LA-treated group (25%) was higher than the control group (18%); however, the differences were not significant statistically.
Conclusion: Adding 5 mg of LZ to rFSH/hMG antagonist protocol may improve the in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle outcome in POR patients.
Keywords: Letrozole, Ovarian reserve, Primary ovarian insufficiency, Ovulation induction, Fertilization in vitro, Aromatase inhibitors.
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Type of Study: Original Article |
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