RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of ovarian hyperstimulation by intermittent doses of 450 IU of recombinant human (h)FSH compared with daily 150-IU doses of recombinant hFSH. DESIGN: A pilot, open, randomized, parallel-group study. SETTING: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany. PATIENT(S): Infertile women with indication for IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection after at least 1 year of unprotected intercourse. INTERVENTION(S): Recombinant hFSH was administered daily or intermittently (3-day intervals) from days 1 to 6 of stimulation and thereafter by daily injection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Number of preovulatory follicles, retrieved oocytes, two-pronuclei (2PN) zygotes, implantation, and pregnancy rates. RESULT(S): The number of oocytes in the daily-dose group was significantly greater. There were no significant differences in mean values for number of follicles > or =11 mm (except for day 7) and > or =14 mm, 2PN zygotes, and number of transferred embryos. Implantation and pregnancy rates per cycle were in favor of the intermittent 450-IU dose regimen; implantation rates were 17.0% and 9.8% in the 3-day-dose and daily-dose groups, respectively, and biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates were 33.3% and 15.7% and 25.5% and 13.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): Intermittent administration of recombinant hFSH significantly reduces the total number of recombinant hFSH injections, compared with a conventional FSH regimen, without detrimental effects on implantation rate or pregnancy rate.