Combination of long and short term GnRH analogue protocols: a new therapeutic approach to persistent high progesterone levels in IVF cycles

Abstract

Thirty-four patients who had had persistently high progesterone (P) levels during menotrophin therapy in previous in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, despite pretreatment with a long acting gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa), were randomly divided into two groups according to the mode of ovulation induction used. In 16 women (group 1), induction of ovulation was performed with decapeptyl (DTRP6)/pure follicle-stimulating hormone (PFSH)/human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG)/human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). In 18 patients (group II), the protocol was identical to the former group, except for the addition of a short-acting GnRHa (buserelin) that was started when P levels were persistently high. The combination of long and short acting GnRH analogues (group II) resulted in an improved follicular phase with significantly lower P levels on the day of HCG administration (P less than 0.001). Furthermore, a significantly higher number of oocytes was retrieved, fertilized and cleaved (P less than 0.005; P less than 0.001; P less than 0.005, respectively) and, as a consequence, significantly higher pregnancy rates were achieved (22.2 versus 12.5%; P less than 0.005). These results indicate that a combination of long- and short-acting GnRH agonists may be of value in cases of persistent high P levels during menotrophin therapy in IVF cycles. Further larger studies must be performed before the true efficacy of this mode of treatment can be determined.