In a nutshell
This study looked at whether blood levels of the HCG hormone affect the chances of pregnancy after in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study concluded that having high HCG levels in the blood was associated with a higher chance of pregnancy.
Some background
IVF is an infertility treatment in which eggs are removed from a woman, fertilized, and then implanted in her uterus. Another treatment is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ISCI). ISCI involves directly injecting a single sperm into an egg to fertilize it. During these treatments, a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) is used to trigger ovulation (release of eggs).
After injection, the levels of HCG hormone in the blood can vary. This can affect how well the fertilized egg (embryo) attaches to the lining of the uterus. It is unclear if HCG levels affect pregnancy rates of women who undergo IVF.
Methods & findings
This study looked at the records of 9960 patients. Patients had IVF or ISCI with a fresh (not frozen) embryo transfer. Patients were divided into two groups based on when blood tests were done. HGC hormone levels were measured at 12 hours (Group A) and at 36 hours (Group B) after the hormone injection.
No differences in pregnancy rates were found based on HCG levels in the blood. In Group A, pregnancy rates ranged from 46.9% to 52.0%. In Group B, pregnancy rates ranged from 40.3% to 53.7%.
Having HCG levels increase at least 6% between 12 and 36 hours was significantly associated with pregnancy. Patients who had a 6% increase in HGC levels had a 17.8% higher odds of pregnancy compared to patients who had a 12% drop in HCG levels.
The bottom line
The study found that having high HGC levels in the blood after the hormone injection was associated with a higher chance of pregnancy. The authors suggest that HCG levels may be able to help predict pregnancy outcomes.
Published By :
Medicine
Date :
Dec 01, 2019
