Is there a link between plasma progesterone 1-2 days before frozen embryo transfers (FET) and ART outcomes in frozen blastocyst transfers?

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2021 Jul;37(7):614-617. doi: 10.1080/09513590.2020.1825669. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Abstract

Objective: To study the efficacy of combined administration of subcutaneous and vaginal progesterone for priming frozen blastocysts transfers, looking at progesterone levels and ART outcome.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting patients: Three hundred and twenty frozen blastocyst transfer cycles conducted in 213 women aged up to 42 years, BMI between 18 and 30 kg/m2, with anatomically normal uterus who underwent frozen embryo transfers (FETs) from February 2019 to December 2019 with a combined luteal-phase support (LPS) associating subcutaneous and vaginal progesterone. Patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) were excluded.

Results: When using combined vaginal and subcutaneous LPS, SPL >10.50 ng/mL in 95% of cases, with a minimum value of 7.02 ng/mL. CPR, OPR, and global miscarriage rates were 38.4%, 30.9%, and 19.5%, respectively. Analyzing results per quartiles, revealed that miscarriage rates were significantly inferior, and IR were higher in the upper two quartiles of serum progesterone (>21.95 ng/mL) on the day before FET, while there was no difference in CPR and OPR.

Conclusions: We report ART outcome of frozen blastocyst transfers performed using a combination of vaginal and subcutaneous progesterone for LPS. ART results were honorable and SPL favorable 1-2 days before FET in 99% of cases.

Keywords: Luteal-phase support; assisted reproductive technology; clinical pregnancy rate; frozen embryo transfer; progesterone.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous / epidemiology
  • Administration, Intravaginal
  • Adult
  • Corpus Luteum Maintenance*
  • Cryopreservation
  • Embryo Transfer / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Rate*
  • Progesterone / blood*
  • Progesterone / therapeutic use*
  • Progestins / therapeutic use*
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Progestins
  • Progesterone