Human Growth Hormone Pre-treatment for 6 Weeks Prior to Ovulation Induction for IVF

Summary

Synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) has been available for more than a decade for specific indication in children and adults. Past Randomized Control Trials (RCT)s of HGH (under off-label use) for improving ovarian function have shown that a combination of traditional gonadotropin ovulation induction protocols, with addition of HGH is effective in increasing pregnancy rates, but not increasing egg production after IVF in women with documented diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). The investigators hypothesize that by initiating HGH at least 6 weeks prior to IVF start, the investigators will be able to increase production of oocytes and further improve pregnancy chances. This hypothesis is based on prior observations of effects of growth hormone on small antral follicles and the fact that prior studies utilized HGH principally only during ovulation induction itself. The investigators plan to recruit 30 women (15 in each group) to an open label randomized controlled trial of HGH for augmentation of ovarian response among women with documented DOR and poor prior response to ovulation induction. Eligible participants will be women \< 45 years with documented history of prior retrieval of 2 or fewer oocytes while on maximal ovulation induction despite prior supplementation with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Women will be treated with 1.9 mg (5.7 units) of HGH per day, beginning about 6 weeks before start of their treatment cycle. Cost of treatment with HGH will be a cost to the participating patient. HGH will cost the patient approximately $800 per week of treatment. Patients who are randomized to the non-HGH treated group, and do not conceive, will in the following cycle be offered HGH supplementation outside of this clinical trial. This subsequent cycle will not be part of the study dataset and patients will also be responsible for the cost of HGH. Even with only 7 patients in each group, this trial will have a 99% power (error 0.05%) to detect a mean increase to 4 oocytes in the treated group. The investigators plan to recruit 15 patients in each group to allow for possible dropouts.

Timeline

Start

2014-08-01

Primary completion

2021-06

Completion

2022-06

Publications

• Background FDA approves human growth hormone for wasting syndrome. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 1996 Dec;10(6):379-80. No abstract available.
• Background FDA approves growth hormone for short children. Child Health Alert. 2003 Sep;21:4. No abstract available.
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• Background Suikkari A, MacLachlan V, Koistinen R, Seppala M, Healy D. Double-blind placebo controlled study: human biosynthetic growth hormone for assisted reproductive technology. Fertil Steril. 1996 Apr;65(4):800-5. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)58217-x.
• Background Bergh C, Carlstrom K, Selleskog U, Hillensjo T. Effect of growth hormone on follicular fluid androgen levels in patients treated with gonadotropins before in vitro fertilization. Eur J Endocrinol. 1996 Feb;134(2):190-6. doi: 10.1530/eje.0.1340190.
• Background Casson PR, Lindsay MS, Pisarska MD, Carson SA, Buster JE. Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation augments ovarian stimulation in poor responders: a case series. Hum Reprod. 2000 Oct;15(10):2129-32. doi: 10.1093/humrep/15.10.2129.
• Background Casson PR, Santoro N, Elkind-Hirsch K, Carson SA, Hornsby PJ, Abraham G, Buster JE. Postmenopausal dehydroepiandrosterone administration increases free insulin-like growth factor-I and decreases high-density lipoprotein: a six-month trial. Fertil Steril. 1998 Jul;70(1):107-10. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(98)00121-6.
• Background Hazout A, Junca Am, Menezo Y, Demouzon J, Cohen-Bacrie P. Effect of growth hormone on oocyte competence in patients with multiple IVF failures. Reprod Biomed Online. 2009 May;18(5):664-70. doi: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60011-9.
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• Background Owen EJ, Shoham Z, Mason BA, Ostergaard H, Jacobs HS. Cotreatment with growth hormone, after pituitary suppression, for ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilization: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trial. Fertil Steril. 1991 Dec;56(6):1104-10. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)54724-4.
• Background Tesarik J, Hazout A, Mendoza C. Improvement of delivery and live birth rates after ICSI in women aged >40 years by ovarian co-stimulation with growth hormone. Hum Reprod. 2005 Sep;20(9):2536-41. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dei066. Epub 2005 Apr 28.
• Background Yoshimura Y, Ando M, Nagamatsu S, Iwashita M, Adachi T, Sueoka K, Miyazaki T, Kuji N, Tanaka M. Effects of insulin-like growth factor-I on follicle growth, oocyte maturation, and ovarian steroidogenesis and plasminogen activator activity in the rabbit. Biol Reprod. 1996 Jul;55(1):152-60. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod55.1.152.
• Background Demeestere I, Gervy C, Centner J, Devreker F, Englert Y, Delbaere A. Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I during preantral follicular culture on steroidogenesis, in vitro oocyte maturation, and embryo development in mice. Biol Reprod. 2004 Jun;70(6):1664-9. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.103.023317. Epub 2004 Feb 11.
• Background Yoshimura Y, Aoki N, Sueoka K, Miyazaki T, Kuji N, Tanaka M, Kobayashi T. Interactions between insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and the renin-angiotensin system in follicular growth and ovulation. J Clin Invest. 1996 Jul 15;98(2):308-16. doi: 10.1172/JCI118794.
• Background Zhuang GL, Wong SX, Zhou CQ. [The effect of co-administration of low dosage growth hormone and gonadotropin for ovarian hyperstimulation in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer]. Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 1994 Aug;29(8):471-4, 510. Chinese.
• Sood A, Mohiyiddeen G, Ahmad G, Fitzgerald C, Watson A, Mohiyiddeen L. Growth hormone for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Nov 22;11(11):CD000099. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000099.pub4.

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