Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 6, 1544-1547,
June 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Low dose prednisolone administration in routine ICSI patients does not improve pregnancy and implantation rates
1 Centre for Reproductive Medicine, European Hospital, Rome, 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology II, University of Naples, Naples, Italy
BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids have been used in conjunction with zona dissection to improve pregnancy and implantation rates in IVF patients. The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the effect of low-dose prednisolone in addition to the standard protocol, on pregnancy and implantation rates in routine ICSI patients before and after embryo replacement. METHODS: A total of 313 patients in 360 consecutive cycles (patients <39 years old and with three or less than three ICSI attempts) performed at our centre were randomly assigned by computer-generated list to receive either prednisolone (10 mg/day in two divided doses), starting on the first day of ovarian stimulation and continuing for 4 weeks (group A), or no treatment (group B). RESULTS: The mean age, number of previously failed IVF attempts, basal FSH levels and the mean rank of trials were comparable between groups A and B. The mean (± SD) number of metaphase II oocytes retrieved (11.9 ± 5.5 versus 12.0 ± 5.1), 2-pronuclei fertilization rate (67.2 versus 65.8%), the pregnancy and the implantation rates were not different between the study and control groups (49.0 and 23.6% versus 50.0 and 23.3% respectively). CONCLUSION: Low-dose prednisolone treatment in addition to the standard protocol before and after embryo replacement does not appear to have a significant effect on pregnancy or implantation rates.
Key words: assisted reproduction/glucocorticoids/implantation rate/prednisolone/pregnancy rate
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, European Hospital, Via Portuense 700–00148, Rome, Italy. E-mail: ubaldi.fm{at}tin.it
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H.M. Fatemi, B. Popovic-Todorovic, E. Papanikolaou, P. Donoso, and P. Devroey An update of luteal phase support in stimulated IVF cycles Hum. Reprod. Update, November 1, 2007; 13(6): 581 - 590. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Dias, R. McNamee, and A. Vail Evidence of improving quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials in subfertility Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2006; 21(10): 2617 - 2627. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Strowitzki, A. Germeyer, R. Popovici, and M. von Wolff The human endometrium as a fertility-determining factor Hum. Reprod. Update, September 1, 2006; 12(5): 617 - 630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. D. Keay, P. Vandekerckhove, and J. M. Jenkins Any effect of adjuvant low dose prednisolone on follicular development and embryo implantation may be masked by the concomitant use of aspirin Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2003; 18(1): 218 - 219. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Ubaldi Any effect of adjuvant low dose prednisolone on follicular development and embryo implantation may be masked by the concomitant use of aspirin Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2003; 18(1): 219 - 219. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|