Ovulation Induction is a More Effective Stimulant on Antiovarian Antibody Production than In Vitro Fertilization.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim in this study is to evaluate the effects of in vitro fertilization (IVF), including controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and the number of oocyte pick-up (OPU) procedures on the development of anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA). METHODS: To evaluate the effects of IVF procedures, namely, COH and OPU, serum samples for measuring AOA concentration levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were collected on the third day of the menstrual cycle, at the end of the COH, and after OPU. RESULTS: The AOA levels in IVF patients were significantly higher than the fertile control groups'. In the IVF group, neither COH nor OPU caused any increase in AOA levels when compared to the basal results. AOA levels were higher in patients with a history of 5-8 cycles of ovulation induction, before IVF treatment. There was no relationship between the basal AOA concentrations and the type of infertility, the etiology of infertility or the pregnancy outcomes, whereas there was a relationship between the AOA and the duration of infertility. CONCLUSION: AOA levels of IVF patients were found to be higher than the fertile control groups'. AOA was found to be related to infertility in patients who had a longer duration of infertility and repeated ovulation induction procedures without IVF. COH and OPU during an IVF cycle did not cause an increase in AOA levels.

Comparison of single versus double intrauterine insemination.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of single versus double intrauterine insemination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective randomized study was carried out in 100 infertile patients. One intrauterine insemination was applied 36 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection to 50 patients in the first group. To 50 patients in the second group, two intrauterine inseminations were applied, of which the first was applied 24 hours after and the second 48 hours after the hCG injection. RESULTS: In the first group, pregnancies were detected in eight patients (pregnancy rate per patient was 16%, pregnancy rate per cycle was 10.6%). In the second group, pregnancies were detected in five patients (pregnancy rate per patient was 10%, pregnancy rate per cycle was 6.4%). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups ( p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Single intrauterine insemination can be considered to be more reasonable than double intrauterine insemination treatment, taking into consideration the economic cost and the psychologic trauma to the patients. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed in order to reveal any actual differences between the two methods.

The comparison of clinical and hormonal parameters in PCOS patients treated with metformin and GnRH analogue.

In this study, our aim was to compare the effects of metformin and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues in clinical and hormonal parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). There were 50 women with PCOS who were included in our study and they were divided into two groups. In this randomized trial, metformin (850 mg, two times per day) was administered to the first group and GnRH analogue (goserelin 3.6 mg, every 28 days) was given to the second group for 3 months. Because of the previous treatments, PCOS patients served as their own controls. The results of 42 women who completed the study were evaluated. Insulin resistance was not ascertained in patients. Metformin treatment resulted in a significant decline in mean body mass index, body weight, circumferences of waist and hip and total hirsutismus score. There was a significant decrease in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and a significant increase in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations. No changes in fasting glucose and insulin levels were observed. The GnRH analogue resulted in a significant increase in FSH and SHBG levels and a significant decrease in LH, total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels and LH to FSH ratio and an improvement in hirsutism scores. Metformin and GnRH analogues had effects upon the abnormal steroid-gonadotropin metabolism and the clinical findings of hyperandrogenism with different mechanisms.