Do women with ovaries of polycystic morphology without any other features of PCOS benefit from short-term metformin co-treatment during IVF? A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Women with ovaries of polycystic morphology (PCO), without any other features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), respond similarly to women with PCOS when stimulated with exogenous gonadotrophins, and both groups share various endocrinological disturbances underlying their pathology. In women with PCOS, metformin co-treatment during IVF has been shown to increase pregnancy rates and reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The aim of this study was to investigate whether metformin co-treatment before and during IVF can also increase the live birth rate (LBR) and lower severe OHSS rates for women with PCO, but no other manifestations of PCOS. METHODS: This study was a double-blind, multi-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The study population included 134 women with ovulatory PCO (and no evidence of clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism) undergoing IVF treatment at three tertiary referral IVF units. The primary outcome was LBR. RESULTS: In total, 134 women were randomized, 69 to metformin and 65 to placebo. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in baseline characteristics. With regard to IVF outcome, no significant improvements were found in the metformin group when compared with the placebo group. In particular, there was no difference between the groups in rates of live birth [metformin n = 27 (39.1%), placebo n = 30 (46.2), (95% confidence interval 0.38, 1.49, odds ratio = 0.75)], clinical pregnancy [metformin n = 29 (42.0%), placebo n = 33 (50.8%)] or severe OHSS [metformin n = 6 (8.7%), placebo n = 5 (7.7%)]. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be no benefit in metformin co-treatment before and during IVF in women with PCO without any other features of PCOS. Clinical Trials.gov: NCT01046032.

Successful Live Birth following Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for Phenylketonuria in Day 3 Embryos by Specific Mutation Analysis and Elective Single Embryo Transfer.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive inherited metabolic disorder caused by a complete or near-complete deficiency of the liver enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which converts the amino acid phenylalanine to tyrosine, leading to the increase of blood and tissue concentration of phenylalanine to toxic levels. PKU is not life threatening but is treated through lifelong dietary management. If untreated, it can lead to severe learning disability, brain function abnormalities, behavioural and neurological problems. The non-life threatening nature of PKU has until now caused some debate on whether to licence its detection by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). We report the first successful live birth in the UK following single cell embryo biopsy and PGD for the detection of two different mutations in the (PAH) gene. This case highlights both an important scientific development as well as the ethical challenge in offering couples who carry PKU this new reproductive option when starting their family.