Dehydroepiandrosterone Versus Growth Hormone in Women Undergoing ICSI With Expected Poor Ovarian Response

NCT ID: NCT02736591

Last Updated: 2016-07-06

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

210 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

300 women with expected poor ovarian response (POR) undergoing in vitro fertilization or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) will be randomly divided into 2 equal groups using computer generated random numbers. Group 1 will receive Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) 25 mg ( DHEA 25mg, Natrol , USA) t.d.s daily for 12 weeks before starting IVF/ICSI cycle and a placebo similar to growth hormone (GH) daily from day 6 of stimulation until the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) trigger. Group 2 will receive an oral placebo t.d.s. daily for 12 weeks before ICSI in addition to GH (Somatotropin, Sedico, Egypt) 4 IU on day 6 of hMG stimulation in a daily dose of 2.5 mg subcutaneous (SC) until the day of hCG triggering.

Patients included in the study will be subjected to full history taking and clinical examination. On the second day of menstruation serum FSH, LH, Prolactin and Oestradiol will be assessed and the antral follicular count (AFC) will be assessed using a vaginal ultrasound scan. AFC will be defined as the number of follicles measuring 3-10mm.

All patients will have gonadotropin antagonist protocol with Human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG) stimulation until the day of hCG administration. On the day of hCG administration, ovarian ultrasound scan will be performed using a transvaginal probe. Oocytes will be aspirated 34-36 hours after HCG administration. Oocytes will be fertilized and embryos will be transferred. Both groups will be compared regarding the proportion of ongoing pregnancy.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The study will be conducted in Cairo university hospitals and Dar Al-Teb Infertility and Assisted conception center, Giza Egypt. All patients attending the centre will be evaluated for expected ovarian response. Patients fulfilling the Bologna criteria definition of poor ovarian response will be invited to participate in the study and to sign informed consent forms.

300 women with expected poor ovarian response undergoing IVF/ICSI will be randomly divided into 2 equal groups using computer generated random numbers. Group 1 will receive DHEA 25 mg ( DHEA 25mg, Natrol , USA) t.d.s daily for 12 weeks before starting IVF/ICSI cycle and a placebo similar to GH daily from day 6 of stimulation until the day of hCG trigger. Group 2 will receive an oral placebo t.d.s. daily for 12 weeks before ICSI in addition to GH Growth hormone (Somatotropin, Sedico, Egypt) 4 IU on day 6 of hMG stimulation in a daily dose of 2.5 mg SC until the day of hCG triggering.

Patients included in the study will be subjected to full history taking and clinical examination. On the second day of menstruation serum FSH, LH, Prolactin and Oestradiol will be assessed and the antral follicular count (AFC) will be assessed using a vaginal ultrasound scan. AFC will be defined as the number of follicles measuring 3-10mm.

All patients will have gonadotropin antagonist protocol with Human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) stimulation until the day of (Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration. On the second day of menstruation serum FSH, LH, Prolactin and Oestradiol will be assessed and the antral follicular count (AFC) will be assessed using a vaginal ultrasound scan. AFC will be defined as the number of follicles measuring 3-10mm.

The stimulation protocol will start on day 2 using 450-300 IU HMG ( Merional® IBSA, Lugano, Switzerland) and gonadotrophin releasing hormone antagonist, cetrorelix (Cetrotide® Merck Serono, Darmstadt, Germany) 0.025 mg daily. Gonadotropins will be administered for 4 to 5 days, after which the dose will be adjusted according to the ovarian response. The ovarian response will be monitored by transvaginal ultrasound and serum E2 levels. When three or more follicles reached a maximum diameter of 16 mm, highly purified HCG 5000 or 10,000 IU (Choriomon ®IBSA) will be administered. The procedure will be cancelled if less than 3 follicles 16 mm in size are present 12 days after starting gonadotropins despite doses reaching 450 IU. The cycle will be also cancelled if there is risk of ovarian hyperstimulation like massive ovarian enlargement or serum estradiol exceeds 3000pg/L Transvaginal oocyte retrieval will be performed 34-36 h after the administration of HCG. Oocytes will be fertilized either via IVF or ICSI based on the couple's history. Fertilization will be assessed 16-18 h after IVF or ICSI . Embryos will be transferred on Day 3 or 5. Vaginal tablets containing progesterone (Prontogest® IBSA) 400 mg/day will be given when fertilization is confirmed. A pregnancy test will be done 2 weeks after embryo transfer. For patients with a positive pregnancy test, progesterone is to be continued for an additional 4 weeks. Clinical pregnancy will be defined as Visualization of an intrauterine gestational sac 5 weeks after embryo transfer. And ongoing pregnancy will be defined as the sonographic confirmation of fetal heart pulsations at 12 weeks.

Sample size calculation:

Investigators are planning a study of independent cases and controls with 1 control(s) per case. Kotb et al found that the ongoing pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF/ICSI with expected POR according to the Bologna controls is 0.285. On the other hand Bassiouny et al found that the ongoing pregnancy rate in women undergoing ICSI with expected POR who received growth hormone is 0.147, investigators will need to study 138 case patients who will receive DHEA and 138 patients who will receive GH to be able to reject the null hypothesis that the ongoing pregnancy rates for DHEA and GH are equal with probability (power) 0.8. Investigators will add 12 patients to each arm to account for missing data and dropout patients. The Type I error probability associated with this test of this null hypothesis is 0.05. Investigators will use an uncorrected chi-squared statistic to evaluate this null hypothesis.

The primary outcome will be the ongoing pregnancy rate defined as sonographic confirmation of fetal heart beat at 12 weeks of gestation.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Subfertility

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

DHEA

Women will receive oral DHEA 25 mg t.d.s. 12 weeks before ICSI

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

DHEA

Intervention Type DRUG

Women will receive oral DHEA 25 mg t.d.s. 12 weeks before ICSI.

Placebo 2

Intervention Type DRUG

Women will receive a placebo injection similar to growth hormone daily from day 6 of hMG stimulation until the day of hCG triggering.

Growth hormone

Women will receive 4 IU of growth hormone on day 6 of hMG stimulation in a daily dose of 2.5 mg SC until the day of hCG triggering

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone

Intervention Type DRUG

Women will receive 4 IU of growth hormone on day 6 of hMG stimulation in a daily dose of 2.5 mg SC until the day of hCG triggering

Placebo 1

Intervention Type DRUG

Women will receive an oral placebo similar to DHEA for 12 weeks before ICSI.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

DHEA

Women will receive oral DHEA 25 mg t.d.s. 12 weeks before ICSI.

Intervention Type DRUG

Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone

Women will receive 4 IU of growth hormone on day 6 of hMG stimulation in a daily dose of 2.5 mg SC until the day of hCG triggering

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo 1

Women will receive an oral placebo similar to DHEA for 12 weeks before ICSI.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo 2

Women will receive a placebo injection similar to growth hormone daily from day 6 of hMG stimulation until the day of hCG triggering.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* women undergoing IVF/ICSI with POR according to the Bologna criteria

Exclusion Criteria

* Body mass index \>35 Kg/m2.
* women with a single ovary.
* Allergy to DHEA.
* Diabetic women on insulin as insulin lowers DHEA levels and might reduce its effectiveness
Minimum Eligible Age

20 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

43 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Cairo University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

AbdelGany Hassan

Lecturer of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

AbdelGany M Hassan

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Cairo University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Cairo University Hospitals

Cairo, , Egypt

Site Status RECRUITING

Dar AlTeb subfertility centre

Cairo, , Egypt

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Egypt

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

AbdelGany M Hassan, MRCOG, MD

Role: CONTACT

+201017801604

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

AbdelGany MA Hassan, MRCOG, MD

Role: primary

00217801604

AbdelGany MA Hassan, MRCOG, MD

Role: primary

00217801604

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Kotb MM, Hassan AM, AwadAllah AM. Does dehydroepiandrosterone improve pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF/ICSI with expected poor ovarian response according to the Bologna criteria? A randomized controlled trial. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016 May;200:11-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.02.009. Epub 2016 Feb 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26963897 (View on PubMed)

Bassiouny YA, Dakhly DMR, Bayoumi YA, Hashish NM. Does the addition of growth hormone to the in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection antagonist protocol improve outcomes in poor responders? A randomized, controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2016 Mar;105(3):697-702. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.11.026. Epub 2015 Dec 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26690008 (View on PubMed)

Dakhly DM, Bayoumi YA, Gad Allah SH. Which is the best IVF/ICSI protocol to be used in poor responders receiving growth hormone as an adjuvant treatment? A prospective randomized trial. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2016;32(2):116-9. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2015.1092136. Epub 2015 Sep 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26416521 (View on PubMed)

Bayoumi YA, Dakhly DM, Bassiouny YA, Hashish NM. Addition of growth hormone to the microflare stimulation protocol among women with poor ovarian response. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015 Dec;131(3):305-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.05.034. Epub 2015 Aug 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26381201 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

sub 13

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

GDF-8 Levels in ICSI Cycles
NCT06529627 COMPLETED NA