Luteal Phase Estradiol Support for In Vitro Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Cycles

Summary

Optimizing in vitro fertilization (IVF) success is more important than ever, in light of new public funding of IVF in Ontario, Canada. In patients undergoing IVF using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, the luteal phase appears to be compromised, which may be a result of controlled-ovarian hyperstimulation, significant fluctuations in hormone levels, the impact of the oocyte retrieval process, or direct compromise of the corpus luteum. Progesterone support is definitely necessary during the luteal phase to facilitate implantation but whether estrogen supplementation is also needed remains unclear. The present study aims to determine whether estradiol support during the luteal phase improves clinical pregnancy rate in patients undergoing IVF.

Timeline

Start

2016-05

Primary completion

2018-06

Completion

2018-06

Publications

• Background Jee BC, Suh CS, Kim SH, Kim YB, Moon SY. Effects of estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase of in vitro fertilization cycles: a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2010 Feb;93(2):428-36. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.02.033. Epub 2009 Apr 1.
• Background Smitz J, Devroey P, Camus M, Deschacht J, Khan I, Staessen C, Van Waesberghe L, Wisanto A, Van Steirteghem AC. The luteal phase and early pregnancy after combined GnRH-agonist/HMG treatment for superovulation in IVF or GIFT. Hum Reprod. 1988 Jul;3(5):585-90. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a136750.
• Background Smith EM, Anthony FW, Gadd SC, Masson GM. Trial of support treatment with human chorionic gonadotrophin in the luteal phase after treatment with buserelin and human menopausal gonadotrophin in women taking part in an in vitro fertilisation programme. BMJ. 1989 Jun 3;298(6686):1483-6. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6686.1483.
• Background Belaisch-Allart J, De Mouzon J, Lapousterle C, Mayer M. The effect of HCG supplementation after combined GnRH agonist/HMG treatment in an IVF programme. Hum Reprod. 1990 Feb;5(2):163-6. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a137062.
• Background van der Linden M, Buckingham K, Farquhar C, Kremer JA, Metwally M. Luteal phase support for assisted reproduction cycles. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Jul 7;2015(7):CD009154. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009154.pub3.
• Background Fritz MA, Westfahl PK, Graham RL. The effect of luteal phase estrogen antagonism on endometrial development and luteal function in women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1987 Nov;65(5):1006-13. doi: 10.1210/jcem-65-5-1006.
• Background Goldstein D, Zuckerman H, Harpaz S, Barkai J, Geva A, Gordon S, Shalev E, Schwartz M. Correlation between estradiol and progesterone in cycles with luteal phase deficiency. Fertil Steril. 1982 Mar;37(3):348-54.
• Background Ganesh A, Goswami S, Chattopadhyay R, Chakraborty C, Chaudhury K, Chakravarty BN. Luteal phase estradiol level: a potential predictive marker for successful pregnancy in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertil Steril. 2009 Apr;91(4):1018-22. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.01.074. Epub 2008 Mar 21.
• Background Hutchinson-Williams KA, Lunenfeld B, Diamond MP, Lavy G, Boyers SP, DeCherney AH. Human chorionic gonadotropin, estradiol, and progesterone profiles in conception and nonconception cycles in an in vitro fertilization program. Fertil Steril. 1989 Sep;52(3):441-5. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)60915-9.
• Background Emperaire JC, Ruffie A, Audebert AJ, Verdaguer S. Early prognosis for IVF pregnancies through plasma oestrogens. Lancet. 1984 Nov 17;2(8412):1151. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91577-0. No abstract available.
• Background Sharara FI, McClamrock HD. Ratio of oestradiol concentration on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin administration to mid-luteal oestradiol concentration is predictive of in-vitro fertilization outcome. Hum Reprod. 1999 Nov;14(11):2777-82. doi: 10.1093/humrep/14.11.2777.
• Background Farhi J, Weissman A, Steinfeld Z, Shorer M, Nahum H, Levran D. Estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase may improve the pregnancy rate in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Fertil Steril. 2000 Apr;73(4):761-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00632-9.
• Background Lukaszuk K, Liss J, Lukaszuk M, Maj B. Optimization of estradiol supplementation during the luteal phase improves the pregnancy rate in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Fertil Steril. 2005 May;83(5):1372-6. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.11.055.
• Background Var T, Tonguc EA, Doganay M, Gulerman C, Gungor T, Mollamahmutoglu L. A comparison of the effects of three different luteal phase support protocols on in vitro fertilization outcomes: a randomized clinical trial. Fertil Steril. 2011 Mar 1;95(3):985-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.06.057. Epub 2010 Aug 2.
• Background Elgindy EA, El-Haieg DO, Mostafa MI, Shafiek M. Does luteal estradiol supplementation have a role in long agonist cycles? Fertil Steril. 2010 May 1;93(7):2182-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.01.066. Epub 2009 Feb 24.
• Background Gorkemli H, Ak D, Akyurek C, Aktan M, Duman S. Comparison of pregnancy outcomes of progesterone or progesterone + estradiol for luteal phase support in ICSI-ET cycles. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2004;58(3):140-4. doi: 10.1159/000079115. Epub 2004 Jun 15.
• Background Engmann L, DiLuigi A, Schmidt D, Benadiva C, Maier D, Nulsen J. The effect of luteal phase vaginal estradiol supplementation on the success of in vitro fertilization treatment: a prospective randomized study. Fertil Steril. 2008 Mar;89(3):554-61. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.04.006. Epub 2007 Aug 2.
• Background Ceyhan ST, Basaran M, Kemal Duru N, Yilmaz A, Goktolga U, Baser I. Use of luteal estrogen supplementation in normal responder patients treated with fixed multidose GnRH antagonist: a prospective randomized controlled study. Fertil Steril. 2008 Jun;89(6):1827-30. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.08.029. Epub 2007 Dec 11.
• Background Huang N, Situ B, Chen X, Liu J, Yan P, Kang X, Kong S, Huang M. Meta-analysis of estradiol for luteal phase support in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertil Steril. 2015 Feb;103(2):367-73.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.10.029. Epub 2014 Dec 6.
• Background Fatemi HM, Kolibianakis EM, Camus M, Tournaye H, Donoso P, Papanikolaou E, Devroey P. Addition of estradiol to progesterone for luteal supplementation in patients stimulated with GnRH antagonist/rFSH for IVF: a randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2006 Oct;21(10):2628-32. doi: 10.1093/humrep/del117. Epub 2006 Jul 20.
• Background Beckers NG, Macklon NS, Eijkemans MJ, Ludwig M, Felberbaum RE, Diedrich K, Bustion S, Loumaye E, Fauser BC. Nonsupplemented luteal phase characteristics after the administration of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin, recombinant luteinizing hormone, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist to induce final oocyte maturation in in vitro fertilization patients after ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and GnRH antagonist cotreatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Sep;88(9):4186-92. doi: 10.1210/jc.2002-021953.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.