Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue as sole luteal support in antagonist-based assisted reproductive technology cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of GnRH agonists (GnRH-a) as sole luteal phase support in patients undergoing IVF in antagonist-based cycles compared with standard vaginal P preparations. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Private fertility clinic. PATIENT(S): Patients who underwent antagonist-based cycles performed at our clinic between 2009 and 2015. INTERVENTION(S): Intranasal GnRH-a or vaginal P as luteal support. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Live birth rates. RESULT(S): A total of 2,529 antagonist-based cycles from 1,479 women were available for analysis, in which GnRH-a were used in 1,436 cycles (56.7%) and P supplementation in 1,093 cycles (43.2%). Significantly higher live birth rates were demonstrated for the entire GnRH-a group compared with the P group. This result was even more prominent when women older than 35 years were considered separately. Furthermore, after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), past obstetric history, number of IVF cycles, oocyte retrieved and embryos transferred, GnRH-a was still associated with a higher rate of live birth (odds ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.10-1.94). Once a positive ß-hCG was achieved, chemical pregnancy rates (PRs) and miscarriage rates were not statistically different between the GnRH-a and the P supplementation group, and GnRH-a was associated with a higher rate of live births (odds ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.07-2.36). CONCLUSION(S): This large retrospective study suggests that repeated intranasal GnRH-a for luteal phase support is associated with a higher live birth rate compared with standard P supplementations.

Intranasal gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) for luteal-phase support following GnRHa triggering, a novel approach to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in high responders.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether intranasal GnRH agonist (GnRHa) can be effectively used for luteal support in high-responder patients undergoing fresh-embryo transfer after ovulation induction with the use of GnRHa. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Private fertility clinic. PATIENT(S): Forty-six high-responder patients were administered a GnRHa ovulation trigger to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), followed by 2 weeks of daily intranasal GnRHa (nafarelin) for luteal-phase support. No additional progesterone supplementation was administrated. INTERVENTION(S): Intranasal GnRHa for luteal-phase support. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The primary outcome was ongoing clinical pregnancy rate. RESULT(S): High median progesterone levels were measured at midluteal phase and on the day of the first positive pregnancy test (190 nmol/L on both measures). We obtained 24 (52.1%) ongoing clinical pregnancies. None of the patients developed OHSS. CONCLUSION(S): Intranasal GnRHa is effective in achieving luteal-phase support in high-responder patients triggered with GnRHa and avoiding OHSS.

Ovarian stimulation and emergency in vitro fertilization for fertility preservation in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women undergoing fertility preservation prior to chemotherapy compared with healthy patients with infertility due to tubal factor. STUDY DESIGN: Case control, retrospective study in an academic IVF unit. The study participants were 21 cancer patients and 1 patient with focal proliferative glomerulosclerosis, undergoing emergency IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI; Group A) and 22 patients undergoing IVF for tubal factor (Group B). All patients underwent controlled ovarian stimulation, ovum pick-up, and embryo freezing or transfer. The outcome measures included: dose of gonadotropins, mean estradiol and progesterone levels, length of stimulation, number of retrieved oocytes, number of 2 pronuclei zygotes, fertilization rate, and clinical pregnancy rate. Student's t-test was used for assessment of group comparisons. RESULTS: Patients in Group A (mean age 32.8+/-5.7 years) underwent 22 emergency IVF cycles for fertility preservation prior to chemotherapy. The mean number of days until human chorionic gonadotropin administration was 10.4+/-4.8. Eleven cycles involved normal insemination while nine involved ICSI. In one cycle three arrested immature oocytes were retrieved, and in one cycle no oocytes were retrieved. Donor sperm was used in 9 cycles. Tamoxifen was part of the treatment protocol in 6 IVF cycles of breast cancer patients. The mean age of the women in Group B was 34+/-4.2 years. There were no significant differences in any of the main outcome measures between the two groups. Thawed embryos were transferred in four cancer patients: two patients had colon cancer, one had breast cancer and one had pseudomyxoma peritonei. Two of these four women conceived and gave birth to healthy newborns. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency IVF is a promising approach for preserving fertility in cancer patients. Current treatment protocols offer a minimal time delay until chemotherapy is commenced, and the ovarian stimulation outcomes are comparable to those of women with tubal factor.

Pregnancy outcome in women with psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine pregnancy outcome in women with psoriasis. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study of 145 deliveries in women with psoriasis during the years 1988-2004 was performed. For every birth, 6 births to nonpsoriatic women (n=860) were randomly selected and adjusted for ethnicity and year of delivery. RESULTS: Recurrent abortions (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.9, p = 0.04) and chronic hypertension (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.01-8.3, p= 0.048) were significantly associated with psoriasis in a multivariable analysis with backward elimination. Psoriasis was also found as an independent risk factor for cesarean delivery (CD) in another multivariable analysis with CD as the outcome variable (OR = 4.1, 95% CI 2.3-7.5, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A significant association exists between psoriasis and pregnancy complications. Moreover, psoriasis is an independent risk factor for CD. Thus, physicians should keep in mind that psoriasis might have nondermatologic implications that may adversely affect pregnancy.

An increased risk for non allo-immunization related intrauterine fetal death in RhD-negative patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate immediate perinatal outcome of RhD-negative patients carrying RhD-positive fetuses who received antenatal Rh immunoglobulin for the prevention of RhD-mediated hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. METHODS: A retrospective population-based analysis was conducted comparing pregnancies of all RhD-negative women who received antenatal Rh immunoglobulin prophylaxis (anti-D), to RhD-positive parturients, during the years 1988-2003. All women were RhD-negative without evidence of RhD sensitization. Patients received anti-D during the 28-30th week of pregnancy, and an additional dosage within 72 hours following delivery after confirmation of the newborn's RhD status. RESULTS: Of 145,437 deliveries during the study period, 6.8% were of RhD-negative women (n = 9961). Perinatal mortality rate was significantly higher among the RhD-negative women who received antenatal prophylaxis rhesus immunoglobulin as compared with the controls (17/1000 vs. 12/1000, OR = 1.3, 95%CI 1.2-1.6; p < 0.001). This higher mortality rate was related to a higher rate of intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) (10/1000 vs. 6/1000, OR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.9; p < 0.001). The association remained significant after controlling for RhD isoimmunization leading to hydrops fetalis, using the Mantel-Haenszel technique (weighted OR = 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.5; p = 0.001). The rate of RhD isoimmunization was 0.6% (n = 58). Using a multivariable analysis with IUFD as the outcome variable, controlling for known confounders for fetal demise, RhD-negative status was an independent risk factor for IUFD. CONCLUSION: RhD-negative women carrying RhD-positive newborns are at an increased risk for IUFD despite Rh immunoprophylaxis.

Short-term acupuncture therapy is of no benefit in patients with moderate persistent asthma.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Acupuncture traditionally has been used to treat asthma. Nevertheless, only a few controlled studies have been performed to determine the efficacy of this treatment. Our study aimed to determine the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with moderate persistent asthma. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with moderate persistent asthma who had been treated only with inhaled beta(2)-agonists were randomly assigned to receive four sessions of real acupuncture (RA) or sham acupuncture (SA) in a blinded manner. After a washout period of 3 weeks, the patients were crossed over. Monitoring included FEV(1), methacholine challenge, daily peak flow (PF) variability, and the keeping of an asthma diary. RESULTS: Twenty of 23 patients completed the study. There was no significant change in FEV(1) following treatment. The mean (+/- SE) FEV(1) values before and after the RA were 73 +/- 4% and 73 +/- 3%, respectively (not significant [NS]). FEV(1) values before and after SA were 70 +/- 3% and 70 +/- 3%, respectively (NS). There was also no change in provocative methacholine concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) (PC(20)) before and after treatment. The mean PC(20) values before and after RA were 0.92 +/- 0.42 mg/mL and 1.16 +/- 0.51 mg/mL, respectively (p = 0.71), while the PC(20) values before and after SA were 1.47 +/- 0.83 mg/mL and 1.11 +/- 0.79 mg/mL, respectively (p = 0.59). There was no change in the mean PF variability before and after the RA (1.6 +/- 3.1% and 1.8 +/- 2.3%, respectively [NS]). The PF variability before and after SA were 3.6 +/- 2.8% and 2.8 +/- 3.4%, respectively (NS). No significant difference was demonstrated for symptom scores or for the use of beta(2)-agonist inhalers (RA, 6.7 +/- 3.4; SA, 8.1 +/- 3.6; p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: In patients with moderate persistent asthma, a short course of acupuncture treatment resulted in no change in lung functions, bronchial hyperreactivity, or patient symptoms.