Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is more effective than recombinant FSH in older women in a controlled randomized study.

Mohamed MA, Sbracia M, Pacchiarotti A, Micara G, Linari A, Tranquilli D, Espinola SM, Aragona C

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: The following study was conducted to determine which FSH, recombinant or urinary, works better in older women. DESIGN: We conducted a controlled randomized study in a single university IVF center. SETTING: University IVF center. PATIENT(S): Women (N = 257) over 39 years old undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION(S): The patients were randomized into two study groups at their first IVF cycle: 121 patients were treated with recombinant FSH, and 120 patients were treated with urinary FSH. Both groups were suppressed with a long GnRH analog protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Days of stimulation, E2 at the day of hCG, total amount of FSH administered, number of oocytes collected, amount of FSH per oocyte, and number of embryos obtained. RESULT(S): Patients treated with urinary FSH required a significantly lower total amount of FSH, and a lower amount of FSH per oocyte than women treated with recombinant FSH. The other measures evaluated did not show any statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION(S): Our study showed that urinary FSH performed better in older women than recombinant FSH when associated with the long protocol.

Published 1 May 2006 in Fertil Steril, 85(5): 1398-403.
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