Differences in the luteal phases after failed or successful in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement

Abstract

Luteal phases after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo replacement have been studied in 241 cycles. A positive correlation was observed between the follicular estradiol (E2) peak and the progesterone (P) level on day 3 of the luteal phase, but no correlation was found between the E2-peak value and the luteal-phase duration or midluteal P concentration. When the trials were classified in relation to their outcome (i.e., clinical pregnancies, chemical pregnancies, or failures), the mean P level on day 3 of the luteal phase was significantly higher in clinical pregnancies than in chemical pregnancies and in failures. Mean E2 levels on day 3 were not significantly different among the three groups. Values of the E2/P ratio were significantly higher in chemical pregnancies than in the other groups. No significant differences were observed among the three groups on day 8. When comparing trials ending in failure to those leading to clinical pregnancy for the same patients, pregnancies were obtained in cycles in which early luteal P was higher and the early luteal E2/P ratio was lower than in failures cycles. These data suggest that high P levels and a low E2/P ratio in the early luteal phase might have a favorable influence on the implantation process in human IVF.

An Insight into Early Reproductive Processes through thein VivoModel of Ovum Donation

“…Mean serum progesterone levels throughout the luteal phase were similar in the two protocols, with a combined mean of 143 ± 47 nmol/L. A previously observed asynchrony between glandular and stromal maturation (5) was uniformly observed in periimplantation biopsies (days [20][21][22] in both short and long follicular phase protocols. A mean lag in glandular us.…”

Effect of cell-plating density on the steroidogenic activity of human cumulus cells

“…A low oestradioLprogesterone ratio was found to be favour¬ able for implantation in women undergoing IVF-embryo transfer (Lejeune et al, 1986 (Bar-Ami et al, 1989). The gradual increase in progesterone:oestradiol ratio with increase in cell-plating density during days 0-3 and 3-5 suggests an increase in the degree of luteinization of cumulus cells with an increase in cell-plating density.…”

Comparative study of the efficacy and tolerability of two vaginal progesterone formulations, Crinone 8% gel and Utrogestan capsules, used for luteal support

“…In addition, high levels of estrogen observed during induced cycles result in an inhibiting effect on the implantation of human embryos (7). The use of pharmaceutical luteal support to reach the physiological ratio of estrogen to P could only be beneficial (8).…”