Diminished ovarian reserve and access to care

Successful Spontaneous Conception and Live Birth in a Woman with an Extremely Low Level of Anti-Müllerian Hormone Who Received Korean Herbal Medicine (Bogungsamul-tang): A Case Report

Conventional treatments do not appreciably improve fecundity in women with extremely low-serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). In Korea, herbal medicine is widely used to treat female infertility. We report a case in which an infertile woman with a very low AMH level naturally conceived after two months of herbal treatment (Bogungsamul-tang), ultimately giving birth to a full-term baby. Although AMH levels were not measured immediately before and after treatment, our study suggests that Korean herbal remedies are a viable option for infertile women with negligible AMH levels. Further studies should be performed to fully assess the clinical effects of Bogungsamul-tang in such women.

Poor ovarian reserve

Poor ovarian reserve (POR) is an important limiting factor for the success of any treatment modality for infertility. It indicates a reduction in quantity and quality of oocytes in women of reproductive age group. It may be age related as seen in advanced years of reproductive life or may occur in young women due to diverse etiological factors. Evaluating ovarian reserve and individualizing the therapeutic strategies are very important for optimizing the success rate. Majority or women with POR need to undergo in vitro fertilization to achieve pregnancy. However, pregnancy rate remains low despite a plethora of interventions and is associated with high pregnancy loss. Early detection and active management are essential to minimize the need for egg donation in these women.

Live birth chances in women with extremely low-serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels

BACKGROUND

To determine whether women with extremely low-serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels (<0.1-0.4 ng/ml) still demonstrate live birth potential with assisted reproduction and whether such potential is age dependent.

METHODS

Between January 2006 and October 2009, 128 consecutive infertility patients with AMH ≤0.4 ng/ml were retrospectively evaluated for pregnancy chances and live birth rates after IVF.

RESULTS

Patients presented at a mean (±SD) age of 40.8 ± 4.1 years, with mean (±SD) baseline FSH of 15.7 ± 11.1 mIU/ml and mean (±SD) AMH of 0.2 ± 0.1 ng/ml. One hundred and twenty-eight women underwent a total of 254 IVF cycles. Twenty clinical pregnancies were recorded (7.9% per cycle start [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.9-11.9%]; 15.6% cumulative [CI: 9.8-23.1%]). These pregnancies resulted in 13 live births in 12 women (i.e. 11 singletons and a pair of twins) and 8 patients miscarried. Eight deliveries occurred after the first cycle (6.3% per cycle start) and four after subsequent IVF cycles (3.2%). When evaluated according to female age, 70 women ≤42 years presented with 16 clinical pregnancies that resulted in 10 deliveries (14.3%), while 58 patients >42 years presented with four clinical pregnancies that resulted in 2 deliveries (3.4%), representing a reduced pregnancy chance (P = 0.013) and delivery rate (P = 0.036) versus age ≤42 years.

CONCLUSIONS

With extremely low-serum AMH levels, moderate, but reasonable pregnancy and live birth rates are still possible. Extremely low AMH levels do not seem to represent an appropriate marker for withholding fertility treatment.

Too old for IVF: are we discriminating against older women?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) in women of advanced age (>42 years) represents only 5%, a comparatively minute part, of the national IVF experience in the United States (US). In view of evolving population dynamics, it, however, also represents proportionally a rather quickly expanding patient need. Because of access restrictions at many IVF programs, this market does not live up to its potential. As best demonstrated by the 2004 US National Summary and Fertility Clinic Report, which for the first time reported pregnancies and births above age 45 year, IVF in women of advanced reproductive age represents a cutting edge area of interest for improving current IVF outcomes. Access to IVF should, therefore, not be withheld based on female age and/or baseline FSH levels. Instead, a definition of acceptable minimal pregnancy and life birth rates could be used to define the limits of offered access to IVF, independent of age and/or baseline FSH levels.

Is there a recommended maximum starting dose of FSH in IVF?

This report reviews and discusses the existing evidence on recommended FSH doses in IVF cycles. A comprehensive search for relevant data was performed in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and NICE clinical guidelines database, and the reference lists of manuscripts. A good body of evidence exists looking at starting doses of FSH for first IVF attempts. Only one randomised controlled trial was identified looking at the efficacy of increasing doses during an IVF cycle. Some observational studies dealt with the question whether a suboptimal ovarian response should be managed by an increased FSH dose in a subsequent cycle, but no randomised trials addressed this issue.

The clomiphene citrate challenge test versus the exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone ovarian reserve test as a single test for identification of low responders and hyperresponders to in vitro fertilization

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to compare the exogenous FSH ovarian reserve test (EFORT) versus the clomiphene citrate challenge test (CCCT), basal FSH, and basal inhibin B, with respect to their ability to predict poor and/or hyperresponders in an IVF population.

DESIGN

Prospective randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Fertility center of a university hospital.

PATIENT(S)

One hundred ten patients undergoing their first IVF cycle, randomized into two groups.

INTERVENTION(S)

Fifty-six patients underwent a CCCT, and 54 patients underwent an EFORT. In all patients, the test was followed by an IVF treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Ovarian response, expressed by the total number of retrieved oocytes.

RESULT(S)

Univariate logistic regression showed that the best predictor for poor response is the CCCT (area under receiver operator characteristic curve [ROC-AUC] = 0.87), with maximal accuracy of 0.89. Multiple logistic regression analysis did not produce a better model in terms of improving the prediction of poor response. For hyper response, univariate logistic regression showed that the best predictor is the inhibin B increment in the EFORT (ROC-AUC = 0.92) but with a low maximal accuracy of 0.78. Again, multiple logistic regression analysis did not produce a better model in terms of predicting hyper response.

CONCLUSION(S)

Our study, the first which compares the CCCT with the EFORT for the prediction of poor and hyperresponders, shows that the CCCT is superior for identification of low responders. The EFORT (inhibin B increment) is superior for prediction of hyper response at the cost of a high rate of false positives. Neither of the two tests seems adequate to act alone for identification of both poor and hyperresponders.

Assisted reproductive technology treatment costs of a live birth: an age-stratified cost-outcome study of treatment in Australia

OBJECTIVES

To calculate the cost of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment cycles and resultant live-birth events.

DESIGN

Cost-outcome study based on a decision analysis model of significant clinical and economic outcomes of ART.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

All non-donor ART treatments initiated in Australia in 2002. Treatment cycles, maternal age and birth outcome data were obtained from the Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database. Direct health care costs were obtained from fertility centres, and included government, private insurer and patient costs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Average health care cost of non-donor, fresh and frozen embryo ART treatment cycles. Average and age-specific costs per live-birth event following ART treatment.

RESULTS

Average health care cost per non-donor ART live-birth event was 32,903 US dollars (range, 24,809 US dollars for women < 30 years to 97,884 US dollars for women > or = 40 years). The cost per live birth for women aged > or = 42 years was 182,794 US dollars. The average treatment cost of a fresh cycle was 6,940 US dollars, compared with 1,937 US dollars for a frozen embryo transfer cycle.

CONCLUSIONS

Debate regarding funding for ART services has been hindered by a lack of economic studies of ART treatments and outcomes in Australia. This is the most comprehensive costing study of ART services to date in terms of resources consumed during ART treatment. It confirms that ART treatment is less cost-effective in older women. Alongside economic considerations of ART, community values, ethical judgements and clinical factors should influence policy decision-making.

Age-specific FSH levels as a tool for appropriate patient counselling in assisted reproduction

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to assess whether, even within a normal FSH range (< or =10 mU/ml), age-specific FSH levels are predictive of ovarian reserve.

METHODS

Between January 1998 and December 2001, 535 women, undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation with 225 IU of recombinant (rec) FSH and 75 IU of recLH, were included in this retrospective cohort study. Criteria for enrolment were: age 25-40 years, basal FSH (b-FSH) < or =10 mU/ml and basal LH < or =12 mU/ml. Patients were assigned to three age groups (group I: 25-29 years; group II: 30-35 years; and group III: 36-40 years). Each age group was divided into quartiles according to b-FSH levels, comparing the lowest and highest b-FSH quartiles for basal hormonal patterns and outcome-related parameters.

RESULTS

At ages 25-35 years, women in the lowest FSH quartiles demonstrated significantly increased numbers of oocytes at retrieval (group I: low b-FSH quartile 8.4 +/- 3.7 versus high b-FSH quartile 6.4 +/- 2.7, P < 0.02; group II: 7.5 +/- 4.0 versus 6.3 +/- 3.0, P < 0.047), whereas no difference with regard to oocyte yield was observed in patients above age 35 (group III: low b-FSH quartile 5.5 +/- 3.1 versus high b-FSH quartile 5.6 +/- 3.5). No statistical correlation was found between FSH quartiles and clinical pregnancy rates or miscarriage.

CONCLUSIONS

In young women, age-specific high b-FSH levels, even within normal ranges, are associated with significantly reduced numbers of oocytes retrieved. B-FSH concentrations should, therefore, be interpreted in an age-specific manner to allow for appropriate patient counselling in IVF.

Fertility in female cancer survivors: pathophysiology, preservation and the role of ovarian reserve testing

The improved long-term survival of adolescents and young women treated for cancer has resulted in an increased focus on the effects of chemotherapy on ovarian function and its preservation. These women may seek advice and treatment regarding their reproductive status, including ways of preserving their fertility and preventing a premature menopause--factors that can have a profound impact on their quality of life. This article comprehensively reviews ovarian reserve testing (ORT) in general. Special emphasis is placed on patients with cancer, including the pathophysiology of gonadal damage following chemotherapy, fertility preservation and the potential role of ORT. Baseline parameters of ovarian reserve [FSH LH, estradiol, inhibin B and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)] have not yet performed sufficiently well in predicting poor outcome in assisted reproduction, but biochemical markers of ovarian reserve appear to be better than chronological age. Inhibin B and AMH show potential for future use. Dynamic testing appears to show much promise, especially stimulated levels of inhibin B and estradiol. The most promising tests of ovarian reserve are the biophysical markers, where total antral follicle count was found to be most discriminatory followed by ovarian volume. Combination of biochemical, biophysical and clinical markers of ovarian reserve may also improve predictive capacity. However, there is a lack of data pertinent to ORT in cancer. As yet there is no single clinically useful test to predict ovarian reserve accurately. Patients with cancer represent a distinct cohort who have particular concerns about their future fertility and the possibility of a premature menopause, they can benefit greatly from knowledge of their functional ovarian reserve. Large, prospective, randomized, adequately controlled studies specific to different geographical areas are required in a control population of comparable reproductive age to determine the potential role of ORT in clinical practice.