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Colombo C, Pistoljevic-Kristiansen N, Saupstad M, Bergenheim SJ, Spangmose AL, Klajnbard A, la Cour Freiesleben N, Løkkegaard EC, Englund AL, Husth M, Breth Knudsen U, Alsbjerg B, Prætorius L, Løssl K, Schmidt L, Pinborg A. Does luteal phase progesterone supplementation affect physical and psychosocial well-being among women undergoing modified natural cycle-FET? A sub-study of a randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod 2023; 38:1970-1980. [PMID: 37634089 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are there any differences in physical and psychosocial well-being among women undergoing modified natural cycle frozen embryo transfer (mNC-FET) with or without vaginal progesterone as luteal phase support (LPS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Women undergoing mNC-FET with vaginal progesterone supplementation were more likely to experience physical discomfort but there was no difference in psychosocial well-being between the two groups. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY mNC-FET can be carried out with or without vaginal progesterone as LPS, which has several side-effects. It is commonly known that fertility treatment can cause stress and psychosocial strain, however, most studies on this subject are conducted in fresh cycle regimes, which differ from NC-FET and results may not be comparable. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a sub-study of an ongoing RCT investigating whether progesterone supplementation has a positive effect on live birth rate in mNC-FET. The RCT is conducted at eight fertility clinics in Denmark from 2019 and is planned to end primo 2024. The sub-study is based on two questionnaires on physical and psychosocial well-being added to the RCT in August 2019. On the time of data extraction 286 women had answered both questionnaires. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Women who had answered both questionnaires were included in the sub-study. Participants were equally distributed, with 143 in each of the two groups. Participants in both groups received the same questionnaires at two time-points: on cycle day 2-5 (baseline) and after blastocyst transfer. Participants in the progesterone group had administered progesterone for 7 days upon answering the second questionnaire. All items in the questionnaires were validated. Items on psychosocial well-being originate from the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility-Fertility Problem Stress Scale (COMPI-FPSS) and from the Mental Health Inventory-5. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Women receiving progesterone experienced more vaginal itching and/or burning than women in the non-progesterone group (P < 0.001). Women in the progesterone group also experienced more self-reported vaginal yeast infection, this was, however, not significant after adjustment for multiple testing (P/adjusted P = 0.049/0.881). No differences regarding psychosocial well-being were found between the two groups. Within the progesterone group, a shift toward feeling less 'downhearted and blue' was found when comparing response distribution at baseline and after blastocyst transfer (P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION All items on physical symptoms were self-reported. The item on vaginal yeast infection was therefore not diagnosed by a doctor. Inclusion in the study required a few extra visits to the clinic, participants who felt more burdened by fertility treatment might have been more likely to decline participation. Women who experienced a lot of side-effects to progesterone prior to this FET cycle, might be less likely to participate. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results are in line with previous known side-effects to progesterone. Physical side-effects of progesterone should be considered before administration. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The RCT is fully supported by Rigshospitalet's Research Foundation and a grant from Gedeon Richter. Gedeon Richter were not involved in the design of protocol nor in the conduction of the study or analysis of results. A.P., L.P., and N.I.-C.F. report grants from Gedeon Richter, Ferring and Merck with no relations to this study. N.I.-C.F. has received travel support from Ferring, Merck A/S, & Gideon Richter, and is the head of the steering committee for the Danish Fertility Guidelines made by the members of from the Danish Fertility Society. A.P. reports consulting fees from Preglem, Novo Nordisk, Ferring, Gedeon Richter, Cryos, & Merck A/S, honoraria from Gedeon Richter, Ferring, Merck A/S, Theramex, and Organon, has received travel support from Gedeon Richter (payment to institution), participated on an advisory board for Preglem and was loaned an embryoscope from Gedeon Richter to their institution. A.L.S. has stock options for Novo Nordisk B A/S. B.A. have received unrestricted grant from Gedeon Richter Nordic and Merck and honoraria for lectures from Gedeon Richter, Merck, IBSA, and Marckyrl Pharma. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER The RCT is registered on ClinicalTrials. gov (NCT03795220) and in EudraCT (2018-002207-34).
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Colombo
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Nina Pistoljevic-Kristiansen
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Marte Saupstad
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Sara Johanna Bergenheim
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Lærke Spangmose
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anna Klajnbard
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital-Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Nina la Cour Freiesleben
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ellen Christine Løkkegaard
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital-North Zealand, Hillerød, Denmark
| | | | - Merete Husth
- Fertility Unit and Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Test, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Ulla Breth Knudsen
- Fertility Clinic, Horsens Regional Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Horsens, Denmark
| | | | - Lisbeth Prætorius
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Kristine Løssl
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Lone Schmidt
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja Pinborg
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The Fertility Department, Section 4071, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Saupstad M, Freiesleben NLC, Skouby SO, Andersen LF, Knudsen UB, Petersen KB, Husth M, Egeberg A, Petersen MR, Ziebe S, Andersen AN, Løssl K, Pinborg A. Preparation of the endometrium and timing of blastocyst transfer in modified natural cycle frozen-thawed embryo transfers (mNC-FET): a study protocol for a randomised controlled multicentre trial. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e031811. [PMID: 31843833 PMCID: PMC6924851 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the high number of frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles being conducted (190 000 cycles/year) in Europe, the timing of blastocyst transfer and the use of luteal phase progesterone support in modified natural cycle FET (mNC-FET) in assisted reproductive technologies are controversial. In mNC-FET, the timing of blastocyst warming and transfer is determined according to the time of implantation in a natural cycle, aiming to reach blastocyst endometrial synchronicity. However, the optimal day of blastocyst transfer following ovulation trigger is not determined. In addition, the value of luteal phase support to maintain the endometrium remains uncertain. Thus, there is a need to identify the optimal timing of blastocyst warming and transfer and the effect of luteal phase support in a randomised controlled trial design. The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to investigate if progesterone supplementation from the early luteal phase until gestational age 8 weeks is superior to no progesterone supplementation and to assess if blastocyst warming and transfer 6 days after ovulation trigger is superior to 7 days after ovulation trigger in mNC-FET with live birth rates as the primary outcome. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Multicentre, randomised, controlled, single-blinded trial including 604 normo-ovulatory women aged 18-41 years undergoing mNC-FET with a high-quality blastocyst originating from their first to third in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle. Participants are randomised (1:1:1:1) to either luteal phase progesterone or no luteal phase progesterone and to blastocyst warming and transfer on day 6 or 7 after human chorionic gonadotropin trigger. Only single blastocyst transfers will be performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study is approved by the Danish Committee on Health Research Ethics (H-18025839), the Danish Medicines Agency (2018061319) and the Danish Data Protection Agency (VD-2018-381). The results of the study will be publicly disseminated. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER The study is registered in EudraCT (2018-002207-34) and on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03795220); Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marte Saupstad
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nina La Cour Freiesleben
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sven Olaf Skouby
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Franch Andersen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Nordsjællands Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Ulla Breth Knudsen
- Kvindeafdelingen, Aarhus University Hospital, Horsens Hospital and the Institute of Clinical Medicine, Horsens, Denmark
| | - Kathrine Birch Petersen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Fertility Clinic, Zealands University Hospital, Køge Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Merete Husth
- Fertilitetsenheden og Center for Præimplantationsdiagnostik, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Anne Egeberg
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Rønn Petersen
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Ziebe
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Nyboe Andersen
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristine Løssl
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja Pinborg
- The Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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