Individualized luteal phase support in frozen-thawed embryo transfer after intramuscular progesterone administration might rectify live birth rate

• Published in: Frontiers in endocrinology (Lausanne) 2024-06, Vol.15, p.1412185
• Main Authors: Boynukalin, Fazilet Kübra, Tohma, Yusuf Aytac, Yarkıner, Zalihe, Gultomruk, Meral, Bozdag, Gürkan, Ozkavukcu, Sinan, Bahçeci, Mustafa, Demir, Berfu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Intravaginal; Adult; Birth Rate; Cryopreservation - methods; Embryo Transfer - methods; Female; Fertilization in Vitro - methods; frozen embryo transfer; hormone replacement therapy; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; intramuscular progesterone; Live Birth - epidemiology; Luteal Phase - drug effects; luteal phase support; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy Rate; Progesterone - administration & dosage; Progesterone - blood; rescue progesterone; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1664-2392; 1664-2392
• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1412185

The serum P concentrations are suggested to have an impact on pregnancy outcome. However there is no consensus about the optimal progesterone cut-off during the luteal phase. Few studies evaluated the effectiveness of a "rescue protocol" for low serum P concentrations and most of these studies used vaginal progesterone administration. There is paucity of data on the effectiveness of rescue protocol using intramuscular progesterone (IM-P) in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET). This study is a retrospective cohort study included 637 single or double blastocyst FETs with artificially prepared endometrium receiving 100 mg IM progesterone (P) after incremental estrogen treatment. Serum P concentrations were evaluated using blood samples obtained 117-119 hours after the first IM-P administration and 21 ± 2 hours after the last IM-P administration. Patients with serum P concentrations