Serum progesterone before and after human chorionic gonadotropin injection depends on the estradiol response to ovarian hyperstimulation during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to assess if periovulatory serum progesterone is reflective of ovarian responsiveness in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).

METHODS

One-hundred forty-two in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles in women using GnRH-a suppression and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) stimulation were evaluated. Responses were studied according to ovarian response to hMG and age. Outcome measures included peak serum estradiol, serum progesterone and estrogen/progesterone ratios on the day of hCG injection, number of harvested oocytes, fertilization rates, and delivered pregnancy rates.

RESULTS

A periovulatory rise in serum progesterone (> 0.9 ng/ml) occurred only among younger women (< 40 years old) with a good response (P < 0.05). Though the number of oocytes was greater in good responders, fertilization and pregnancy rates were similar among all women regardless of age and ovarian response.

CONCLUSIONS

Periovulatory levels of serum progesterone vary according to ovarian response to COH. Elevations in progesterone do not appear to be a manifestation of poor responders. Reduced periovulatory progesterone may reflect inadequate steroidogenesis.