Synchronization of Ovarian Stimulation for in Vitro Fertilization With Follicular Wave Emergence

NCT ID: NCT01668056

Last Updated: 2013-09-10

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-01-31

Study Completion Date

2014-12-31

Brief Summary

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Ovarian stimulation is an important phase of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The harvest of a larger number of viable eggs per cycle compensate eventual laboratory difficulties and allow for the selection of embryos with higher implantation potential. In the current protocols, based on the most prevailing theory of ovarian follicular development, stimulation drugs are usually started on the second or third day after the beginning of menses. The follicular phase of the menstrual cycle is believed to be the only favorable moment for follicular development.

In the early 2000's a new model of human ovarian follicular development (follicular waves) has been proposed based on frequent transvaginal ultrasound observations between two ovulations. It has been shown that ovarian antral follicles develop in synchronous groups, two to three times in a cycle. In fact the follicular wave phenomenon has been initially described in the 80's on domestic animals, like the mare and the cow. Moreover, studies in these animals have shown that synchronizing the start of the ovarian stimulation drugs with the beginning of a follicular wave yields better results for assisted reproductive treatments. Consequently in ovarian stimulation protocols for animal assisted reproduction it is important to control the initiation of a follicular wave.

Current protocols of ovarian stimulation for IVF in women do not consider the start of a follicular wave to begin drug administration. Therefore the purpose of this study is to evaluate two methods to control the emergence of a follicular wave (ovulation induction and dominant follicle aspiration) and to investigate the effects of synchronizing ovarian stimulation for IVF with follicular wave emergence in women compared to one of the current stimulation protocols (flexible GnRH protocol).

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Infertility

Keywords

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in vitro fertilization ovarian stimulation follicular waves luteal phase

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Control

Patients will be stimulated according to the conventional flexible GnRH antagonist protocol for IVF. Alfa follitropin (150IU a day) will be started on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Treatment monitoring will be done with transvaginal ultrasound scans and serum determinations of estradiol and progesterone 5 days after the start of gonadotropins and every each day thereafter. Once the leading follicle reaches 13 mm in mean diameter 0,25mg of cetrorelix acetate will be administered daily. Once at least two follicles reach 18mm or more in mean diameter 250 micrograms of choriogonadotropin alfa will be administered and 36 hours latter patients will undergo follicle aspiration for IVF. Embryos will be cryopreserved (vitrification) on the third or fifth day of development. Two months after women will undergo uterine preparation for embryo transfer.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Control

Intervention Type OTHER

Conventional flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization, with gonadotropin star at the third day of a natural menstrual cycle.

Ovulation induction

Patients will be monitored with daily transvaginal ultrasound scans from the tenth day of the menstrual cycle on. When the dominant follicle reaches a mean diameter of 16mm or more, patients will receive 250 micrograms of choriogonadotropin alfa subcutaneously. Daily transvaginal ultrasound scans will be done starting two days after the administration of the medication until a cohort of ovarian follicles between 4-6 mm is seen (follicular wave emergence). From this point on patients will undergo the same stimulation protocol as Controls, i.e., flexible GnRH antagonist protocol.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ovulation induction with choriogonadotropin alfa

Intervention Type DRUG

Administration of 250 micrograms of choriogonadotropin alfa subcutaneously when the dominant follicle of a natural menstrual cycle reaches 16mm or more of mean diameter. Verify if this intervention is able to induce follicular wave emergence and synchronize the start of the flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation with the start of a follicular wave.

Dominant follicle aspiration

Patients will be monitored with daily transvaginal ultrasound scans from the tenth day of the menstrual cycle on. When the dominant follicle reaches a mean diameter of 16mm or more, patients will then undergo aspiration of the dominant and all follicles greater than 10mm in mean diameter. aspiration will be transvaginal ultrasound guided and under sedation, as for oocyte retrieval. Oocytes eventually obtained at this first aspiration will not be used for IVF. Daily transvaginal ultrasound scans will be done starting the day after the follicular aspiration until a cohort of follicles between 4-6 mm is seen (follicular wave emergence). From this point on patients will undergo the same stimulation protocol as Controls, i.e., flexible GnRH antagonist protocol.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Aspiration of the dominant follicle

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Aspiration of all follicles greater than 10mm in mean diameter when the dominant follicle of a natural menstrual cycle reaches 16mm or more of mean diameter. Aspiration will be guided by transvaginal ultrasound. Verify if this intervention is able to induce follicular wave emergence and synchronize the start of the flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation with the start of a follicular wave.

Interventions

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Ovulation induction with choriogonadotropin alfa

Administration of 250 micrograms of choriogonadotropin alfa subcutaneously when the dominant follicle of a natural menstrual cycle reaches 16mm or more of mean diameter. Verify if this intervention is able to induce follicular wave emergence and synchronize the start of the flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation with the start of a follicular wave.

Intervention Type DRUG

Aspiration of the dominant follicle

Aspiration of all follicles greater than 10mm in mean diameter when the dominant follicle of a natural menstrual cycle reaches 16mm or more of mean diameter. Aspiration will be guided by transvaginal ultrasound. Verify if this intervention is able to induce follicular wave emergence and synchronize the start of the flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation with the start of a follicular wave.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Control

Conventional flexible GnRH antagonist protocol of ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization, with gonadotropin star at the third day of a natural menstrual cycle.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* age \< 35 years old
* body mass index: 19-30 kg/m2
* tubal or male factor infertility with indication of in vitro fertilization
* antral follicle count: 10-20
* normal uterus in transvaginal ultrasound scan
* FSH on the third day of the menstrual cycle below 12mUI/mL and estradiol below 80pg/mL
* male partner with at least 5 million motile sperm and 1% normal strict morphology on semen analyses

Exclusion Criteria

* ovarian factor infertility
* non identification of one or both ovaries in the transvaginal ultrasound scan
* non treated endocrine disorders
* smoking habit
* endometriosis stage III -IV
* severe male factor infertility (less than one million sperm per mL of semen)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

35 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Edmund c Baracat, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University of Sao Paulo Medical School

Paulo C Serafini, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Sao Paulo Medical School

Paulo HM Bianchi, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Sao Paulo Medical School

Locations

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University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Brazil

Central Contacts

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Paulo HM Bianchi, MD

Role: CONTACT

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Paulo HM Bianchi, MD

Role: primary

References

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Baerwald AR, Adams GP, Pierson RA. A new model for ovarian follicular development during the human menstrual cycle. Fertil Steril. 2003 Jul;80(1):116-22. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(03)00544-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12849812 (View on PubMed)

Baerwald AR, Adams GP, Pierson RA. Characterization of ovarian follicular wave dynamics in women. Biol Reprod. 2003 Sep;69(3):1023-31. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.103.017772. Epub 2003 May 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12748128 (View on PubMed)

Baerwald AR, Adams GP, Pierson RA. Ovarian antral folliculogenesis during the human menstrual cycle: a review. Hum Reprod Update. 2012 Jan-Feb;18(1):73-91. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmr039. Epub 2011 Nov 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22068695 (View on PubMed)

Adams GP, Singh J, Baerwald AR. Large animal models for the study of ovarian follicular dynamics in women. Theriogenology. 2012 Nov;78(8):1733-48. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2012.04.010. Epub 2012 May 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22626769 (View on PubMed)

de Mello Bianchi PH, Serafini P, Monteiro da Rocha A, Assad Hassun P, Alves da Motta EL, Sampaio Baruselli P, Chada Baracat E. Review: follicular waves in the human ovary: a new physiological paradigm for novel ovarian stimulation protocols. Reprod Sci. 2010 Dec;17(12):1067-76. doi: 10.1177/1933719110366483. Epub 2010 May 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20439948 (View on PubMed)

Bianchi PH, Viera LM, Gouveia GR, Rocha AM, Baruselli PS, Baracat EC, Serafini PC. Study of two strategies to induce follicular wave emergence for assisted reproductive treatments (ART)-a preliminary trial. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015 Apr;32(4):543-9. doi: 10.1007/s10815-015-0432-3. Epub 2015 Feb 21.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 25701140 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1099/09

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id