Growth Hormone: A Potential Treatment of Patients with Refractory Thin Endometrium: A Clinical Trial Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

3 Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

4 Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

5 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erlangen University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

Abstract

Background: Growth hormone (GH) is a potential treatment in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) to improve endometrial receptivity and thickness. In the current study, we investigated the effect of the intrauterine administration of GH on the endometrial thickness (EMT) and ART outcomes in the patients with refractory thin endometrium.
Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, women with a refractory thin endometrium and a history of one or more frozen embryo transfer (FET) cancellation who were referred to the infertility center of the Tabriz Al-Zahra hospital (Tabriz, Iran) and Milad Infertility Clinic (Tabriz, Iran) received intrauterine injections of GH every other day from day 14 of the menstrual cycle until the EMT reached ≥7 mm in addition to the routine endometrium preparation protocol. EMT was evaluated during the treatment and in the cases with EMT ≥7 mm, biochemical/clinical pregnancy was evaluated after embryo transfer.
Results: Thirty-one women aged 35.29 ± 6.21 years were included in this study. The mean amount of EMT was significantly increased following the GH treatment (7.03 ± 1.23 mm) vs. before treatment (5.14 ± 1.1 mm, P<0.001). The EMT reached ≥7 mm in the 65% patients (20/31). Also, the embryo transfer resulted in pregnancy in the patients, biochemical pregnancy: 9/20 (45%) and clinical pregnancy: 7/20 (35%). There was a positive correlation between EMT on the day 13 of cycle (before the treatment) and the maximum EMT (r=0.577 and P=0.001). The EMT was statistically different on the embryo transfer day between clinically pregnant and non-pregnant women (7.18 ± 0.56 vs. 6.21 ± 0.72 mm, P=0.007).
Conclusion: The intrauterine administration of GH could be an appropriate therapeutic strategy for patients with refractory thin endometrium. This treatment could significantly increase the EMT as well as implantation and pregnancy rates in these patients (registration number: IRCT20210220050429N1).

Keywords

References

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International Journal of Fertility and Sterility
Volume 16, Issue 4
October 2022
Pages 251-255

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