Low day 3 luteinizing hormone values are predictive of ... - CiteSeerX

Human Reproduction vol.13 no.3 pp.531–534, 1998

Low day 3 luteinizing hormone values are predictive of reduced response to ovarian stimulation

Ivo Noci1,3, Roberto Biagiotti1, Mario Maggi2, Franca Ricci1, Antonella Cinotti1 and Gianfranco Scarselli1 1Department

of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and 2Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

3To

whom correspondence should be addressed at: Clinica Ginecologica e Ostetrica, V. le Morgagni 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy

The aim of the present work was to evaluate whether low day 3 luteinizing hormone (LH) values in the presence of normal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are predictive of poor response to ovarian stimulation. Two groups of women undergoing ovarian stimulation and differing only in the day 3 LH concentration (3 mIU/ml, control group, n J 45) were retrospectively analysed. Study group patients developed a lower oestradiol peak (703 6 388 versus 955 K 400 ng/ml; P J 0.005) and a lower number of follicles >15 mm diameter at the time of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration (2.6 K 1.3 versus 3.6 K 1.8; P J 0.004) than the control group. Conversely, a similar ratio of oestradiol: follicles >15 mm diameter was observed (256 K 118 versus 269 K 93; P J 0.563). The number of follicles >10 mm at the time of HCG administration appeared to be lower in the study group, but this difference was not statistically significant (6 K 3.9 versus 7.8 K 4.3). Our data indicate that day 3 LH values