Abstract:

Objective: To explore the predictive value of the serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level on the next day of dual trigger on the pregnancy outcome in fresh embryo transfer cycles of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF/ICSI) in the antagonist regimen. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 717 cycles of patients who underwent antagonist therapy for ovulation induction at the reproductive center of the Women′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2017 to January 2024. All cases were induced to ovulate using a dual trigger method (hCG+gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist). The patients were divided into 5 groups, based on the serum β-hCG level on the day after the trigger: Group A (42 cycles) had β-hCG≤50 U/L, Group B (282 cycles) had 50 U/L<β-hCG≤100 U/L, Group C (250 cycles) had 100 U/L<β-hCG≤150 U/L, Group D (92 cycles) had 150 U/L<β-hCG≤200 U/L, and Group E (51 cycles) had β-hCG>200 U/L. The laboratory outcome of ovulation induction and pregnancy outcome among different groups were compared. Results: There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), basal follicle-stimulating hormone, days and total amount of gonadotropin, estrogen and progesterone levels on the trigger day, and the number of high-scoring blastocysts among the 5 groups (all P<0.05). As BMI increased, the β-hCG level on the day after the trigger gradually decreased. There was no significant difference in the number of usable embryos, high scoring blastocyst rate, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate among the 5 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: In the fresh embryo transfer cycle of the antagonist regimen, the serum β-hCG level on the day after the dual trigger cannot predict the pregnancy outcome of the IVF/ICSI treatment.

Key words: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, Ovulation induction, Chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit, human, Embryo transfer, Pregnancy outcome