Yonsei Med J.  2015 Mar;56(2):490-496. 10.3349/ymj.2015.56.2.490.

Minimal Stimulation Using Gonadotropin Combined with Clomiphene Citrate or Letrozole for Intrauterine Insemination

• Yun BH
• Chon SJ
• Park JH
• Seo SK
• Cho S
• Choi YS
• Kim SH
• Lee BS

• KMID: 2070029
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2015.56.2.490

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the efficacy of minimal stimulation using discretely administered gonadotropin combined with clomiphene citrate (CC) or letrozole (LTZ) for intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Total 257 IUI cycles from 158 infertile couples were assessed. A CC dose of 100 mg/day (n=126 cycles) or a LTZ dose of 5 mg/day (n=131 cycles) was administered on days 3-5 of the menstrual cycle for 5 days. Each group received human menopausal gonadotropin at a dose of 150 IU by two or three alternative day: CC combined with alternate-day regimen for 2 or 3 days (CC+300, n=37; CC+450, n=89) and LTZ combined with alternate-day regimen for 2 or 3 days (LTZ+300, n=36; LTZ+450, n=95).
RESULTS
The clinical pregnancy rate was comparable between the CC and LTZ groups (18.3% vs. 13.0%, p=0.243). The clinical pregnancy rate also showed no significant difference among the 4 groups (21.6% vs. 16.9% vs. 11.1% vs. 12.6%, p=0.507). The multiple pregnancy rate was significantly higher in LTZ compared to CC group (37.5% vs. 8.7%, p=0.028) and in the LTZ+450 compared to CC+450 group (50% vs. 13.3%, p=0.038). Overall, there were 15 cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), with the prevalence being significantly lower in the LTZ compared to CC group (1.5% vs. 10.3%, p=0.003). OHSS was more prevalent in the CC+450 compared to the LTZ+450 group (12.4% vs. 1.1%, p=0.002).
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that minimal stimulation using two alternate-day gonadotropin with LTZ decreases the development of OHSS and multiple pregnancies, while maintaining comparable pregnancy rates in IUI cycles.

Keyword

Intrauterine insemination; minimal stimulation; gonadotropin; letrozole; clomiphene citrate

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aromatase Inhibitors/administration & dosage
Clomiphene/*administration & dosage/therapeutic use
Drug Administration Schedule
Drug Combinations
Female
Fertility Agents, Female/administration & dosage/therapeutic use
Fertilization in Vitro
Gonadotropins/*administration & dosage
Humans
Infertility, Female/*drug therapy
Insemination, Artificial/*statistics & numerical data
Nitriles/*administration & dosage
Ovulation Induction/methods/*statistics & numerical data
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Rate
Treatment Outcome
Triazoles/*administration & dosage
Aromatase Inhibitors
Clomiphene
Drug Combinations
Fertility Agents, Female
Gonadotropins
Nitriles
Triazoles

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