Wang, L., Qiao, J., Liu, P., & Lian, Y. (2008). Effect of luteinized unruptured follicle cycles on clinical outcomes of frozen thawed embryo transfer in Chinese women. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 25(6), 229-233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-008-9225-2
Wang L, Qiao J, Liu P, Lian Y. Effect of luteinized unruptured follicle cycles on clinical outcomes of frozen thawed embryo transfer in Chinese women. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2008;25(6):229-233. doi:10.1007/s10815-008-9225-2
Wang, Lina, et al. "Effect of luteinized unruptured follicle cycles on clinical outcomes of frozen thawed embryo transfer in Chinese women." Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, vol. 25, no. 6, 2008, pp. 229-233.
Frozen embryo transfer outcomes did not differ significantly in LUF
Luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) cycles showed no significant difference in frozen embryo transfer outcomes compared with ovulation cycles. The retrospective study followed 1,010 infertile women in Beijing. About 19 out of 100 women with LUF cycles had a live birth, and about 22 out of 100 with ovulation cycles did.
Key Findings
Live birth rate: 19.44% (28/144) in the LUF group and 22.23% (193/866) in the ovulation group (p=0.514).
Clinical pregnancy rate: 27.78% (40/144) with LUF cycles and 31.29% (271/866) with ovulation cycles (p=0.436).
Ongoing pregnancy rate: 24.31% (35/144) with LUF cycles and 28.29% (245/866) with ovulation cycles, with no significant difference (p>0.05).
Implantation rate: 12.76% (49/384 embryos) with LUF cycles and 14.74% (332/2,251 embryos) with ovulation cycles (p=0.346).
Serum estradiol and progesterone, measured in a subset of women on the day of transfer and on day 3 after, showed no significant differences between the groups.
Interpretation
The analysis is retrospective and comes from a single hospital. It includes natural-cycle frozen embryo transfers, an IVF step, in Chinese women during 2004. The two groups were similar in age, length of infertility, and embryo quality. The implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates were each lower in the LUF group, and no outcome difference reached significance. The paper gives no sample-size calculation. The embryos were frozen earlier, so the outcomes describe implantation after transfer. Every woman had an embryo transfer, so the paper reports no outcomes for conception without one.
RRM Context
The authors say women with LUF cycles have regular periods and a biphasic basal body temperature. Their cervical mucus looks like that in ovulation cycles. The authors found LUF by combining follicle ultrasound, the cervical mucus score, basal body temperature, and blood hormone levels. LUF is a problem with ovulation. A full cycle evaluation can find it. Restorative reproductive medicine starts with that evaluation. Unexplained infertility is undiagnosed infertility.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Objective
To determine the effect of luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) cycles on frozen thawed embryo transfer (FET).
Design
A retrospective analysis comparing the clinical outcomes after FET among 144 cases of luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) cycles and 866 cases of ovulation cycles.
Setting
Reproductive medical center, Beijing China.
Patients
Chinese infertile women who underwent FET.
Interventions
None.
Main Outcome Measures
Clinical pregnancy rate (PR), implantation rate.
Results
The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, on-going pregnancy rate and live birth rate in LUF group were 12.76% (49/384), 27.78% (40/144), 24.31% (35/144) and 19.44% (28/144), respectively, and in ovulation group, 14.74% (332/2251), 31.29% (271/866), 28.29% (245/866) and 22.23% (193/866), respectively (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
LUF does not affect the clinical outcomes of FET. Patients of LUF should be included in FET treatment.
