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Repelaer van Driel-Delprat C, van Dam E, van de Ven P, Aissa K, Ter Haar M, Feenstra Y, de Roos A, Beelen G, Schats R, Lambalk C. More Live Births in Primary Subfertile Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Treated Women with High Normal TSH Levels. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2021; 86:398-407. [PMID: 34515132 DOI: 10.1159/000518083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze the fertility outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-treated women across normal range thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Published results are inconclusive about optimal TSH levels and fertility. DESIGN This is a retrospective cohort study in 752 ICSI-treated women with predominantly severe male factor subfertility, starting treatment between the first of January 2008 and the first of March 2012 with a follow-up until 2014. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: Women aged 22-45 years with TSH 0.3-4.5 mIU/L without thyroid hormone substitution were included in Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, an iodine-sufficient area. Demographic and baseline characteristics were compared between groups of patients based on TSH, using one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, and χ2 test. The patient was the unit of analysis: all cumulative cycles per patient were analyzed up to and including the first ongoing pregnancy. The primary outcome was a cumulative live birth rate. Clinical pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss, and ongoing pregnancy rate were secondary outcomes. The χ2 test and logistic regression were used to compare interquartile groups while adjusting for confounders. Logistic regression was used with the natural logarithm of TSH as a continuous predictor. Primary and secondary subfertile women were analyzed separately. RESULTS Analysis of the total cohort (n = 752) showed no difference in fertility outcomes across the normal TSH range. The cumulative live birth rate for the 4 groups of primary subfertile women (n = 455) was 76% in the upper TSH quartile compared to 56%, 60%, and 59% in the lower TSH quartiles. LIMITATIONS Levels of thyroxine and presence of thyroid autoimmunity were not measured in this retrospective cohort study. CONCLUSIONS The observation that a higher live birth rate was found in primary subfertile ICSI-treated women with high but allegedly normal TSH levels contributes to the hypothesis that in certain subfertile women in addition to a male factor, female factors such as subtle hypothyroidism and/or thyroid autoimmunity may play a role in keeping them from conception, which can be overcome by the process of ICSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Repelaer van Driel-Delprat
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline van Dam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter van de Ven
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Khadija Aissa
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Melanie Ter Haar
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yikke Feenstra
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aletta de Roos
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gaby Beelen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roel Schats
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Lambalk
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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