FEMALE HORMONE PHYSIOLOGY





Acronyms



  • References [1,2,10]
FEMALE HORMONES
Estradiol (E2)
  • Reproductive age
    • Estradiol is the primary hormone secreted by the follicle in the ovaries, and it is 12 - 80 times more potent than estrone and estriol
    • Estradiol stimulates development of the female sex organs during puberty, and it causes thickening of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle
    • Normal range: 12.5 - 498 pg/ml depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle
  • Menopause
    • Ovarian estradiol production ceases
    • A small amount is produced by the conversion of adrenal steroids in peripheral fat tissue
    • Normal range: 0 - 55 pg/ml depending on the length of menopause
  • Infertility
    • As women age, ovarian follicles gradually decline. Follicle loss leads to lower estradiol levels and reduced negative feedback on the pituitary. (see HPO axis). FSH levels rise, and this causes elevated estradiol levels in the early follicular phase (see menstrual cycle).
    • To test for ovarian reserve, an estradiol level and an FSH can be checked on Day 3 of the cycle. FSH levels >10 - 15 mIU/ml and estradiol levels >60 - 80 pg/ml suggest low ovarian reserve. See infertility evaluation below.
Estrone (E1)
  • Reproductive age
    • Estrone is not as potent or abundant as estradiol
    • Normal range: 37 - 229 pg/ml depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle
  • Menopause
    • After estradiol levels fall, estrone becomes the predominant estrogen. It is primarily formed from peripheral aromatization of androstenedione in the adrenal gland.
    • Normal range: 14 - 103 pg/ml depending on the length of menopause
Estriol (E3)
  • Reproductive age
    • Estriol is produced by the placenta, and it is the primary estrogen of pregnancy. It has no significant role outside of pregnancy.
  • Menopause
    • No significant role
Progesterone
  • Reproductive age
    • Progesterone is released by the corpus luteum in the ovaries. It causes the endometrium to become secretory, preparing it for ovum implantation.
    • In pregnancy, it is produced by the placenta during the second and third trimesters
    • Normal range: 0.2 - 27 ng/ml depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle
  • Menopause
    • Ovarian progesterone production stops
    • Normal range: 0.1 - 0.8 ng/ml
  • Infertility
    • Progesterone levels measured 1 week prior to expected menses (cycle day 21) can be used to detect ovulation. A level ≥ 3 ng/ml means that ovulation likely occurred. See infertility evaluation below.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • Reproductive age
    • FSH is released from the anterior pituitary in response to GnRH. FSH stimulates follicles in the ovary to mature.
    • Normal range: 3.5 - 21.5 mIU/ml depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle
  • Menopause
    • Estrogen loss reduces negative feedback in the pituitary and hypothalamus, and FSH levels rise
    • Normal range: 25.8 - 135 mIU/ml
  • Infertility
    • As women age, ovarian follicles gradually decline. Follicle loss leads to lower estradiol levels and reduced negative feedback on the pituitary. (see HPO axis). FSH levels rise, and this causes elevated estradiol levels in the early follicular phase (see menstrual cycle).
    • To test for ovarian reserve, an estradiol level and an FSH can be checked on Day 3 of the cycle. FSH levels >10 - 15 mIU/ml and estradiol levels >60 - 80 pg/ml suggest low ovarian reserve. See infertility evaluation below.
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
  • Reproductive age
    • LH is released from the anterior pituitary in response to GnRH
    • The LH surge in the middle of the menstrual cycle stimulates ovulation
    • LH maintains the corpus luteum and stimulates steroid production
    • Normal range: 2.4 - 95.6 mIU/ml depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle
  • Menopause
    • Estrogen loss reduces negative feedback in the pituitary and hypothalamus, and LH levels rise
    • Normal range: 7.7 - 58.5 mIU/ml
Testosterone
  • Reproductive age
    • Testosterone is produced by the ovaries in small amounts. In the ovaries, aromatase converts testosterone to estradiol.
    • Normal range: 8 - 48 ng/dl
  • Menopause
    • Ovaries continue to produce testosterone
    • Normal range: 3 - 41 ng/dl
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
  • Reproductive age
    • DHEA is a mild androgen produced by the adrenal cortex
    • In peripheral tissues, DHEA can be converted into estradiol or testosterone
    • DHEA levels peak around age 30 and then gradually decline
    • DHEA-S is an active metabolite of DHEA that has a much longer half-life. DHEA-S is present in concentrations 300 - 500 times that of DHEA. DHEA levels have a diurnal variation where DHEA-S only has minimal diurnal variation. Because of this, DHEA-S is often the preferred lab for measuring DHEA activity.
    • DHEA-S levels are typically measured to screen for adrenal hyperfunction in women with virilization
    • Normal range: DHEA-S levels vary by age with a peak range of 84 - 378 mcg/dl around age 30
  • Menopause
    • DHEA production continues to decline with levels falling to 10 - 25% of their peak value by age 70 - 80 years
Anti-Müllerian hormone
  • Reproductive age / Fertility
    • Anti-Müllerian hormone, also called Müllerian-inhibiting hormone, is a hormone produced by granulosa cells in the ovary. Granulosa cells surround eggs and support their development. Anti-Müllerian hormone inhibits follicle recruitment in resting eggs so that a dominant follicle can develop. As the number of eggs in the ovary diminishes, levels of anti-Müllerian hormone decrease.
    • Anti-Müllerian hormone is often used to measure ovarian reserve in women who are trying to conceive. Levels < 1.66 ng/ml are indicative of low ovarian reserve, and levels < 1 ng/ml portend a poor response to ovarian stimulation used in vitro fertilization (IVF).
    • Despite being a marker of ovarian reserve, anti-Müllerian hormone has not been shown to be a good predictor of fertility. See biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility below.
  • Normal ranges
    • 20 - 30 years old: median values range from 4.2 - 4.7 ng/ml
    • 30 - 40 years old: median values range from 1.69 - 3.0 ng/ml
    • 40 - 50 years old: median values range from <0.03 - 0.58 ng/ml
  • Menopause
    • Levels are undetectable


HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-OVARIAN AXIS


illustration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis

MENSTRUAL CYCLE


illustration of the female menstrual cycle
MENOPAUSE






  • Reference [8]
% of women achieving menopause within 5 years based on AMH levels
AMH levels
Age range Undetectable 0.09 - 1.9 ng/ml ≥ 2.0 ng/ml
40 - 44 years (N=192) 40% 5% 0%
45 - 49 years (N=121) 60% 23% 0%

  • FSH levels were drawn on days 1 - 10 of the menstrual cycle in women with normal menstration
  • Reference [8]
% of women achieving menopause within 5 years based on FSH levels
FSH levels
Age range 0 - 5.39 IU/L 5.4 - 13 IU/L > 13 IU/L
40 - 44 years (N=192) 6% 6% 22%
45 - 49 years (N=121) 31% 23% 46%



INFERTILITY


  • Reference [10]
Steps to evaluating infertility
Step 1 - Determine if patient is ovulating
  • A regular menstrual cycle (every 21 - 35 days) with premenstrual symptoms (e.g. breast tenderness, fluid retention) indicates ovulation
  • Irregular menses (cycles < 21 days or > 35 days), amenorrhea, and abnormal uterine bleeding are suggestive of anovulation
  • If ovulation is unclear from patient history, check a serum progesterone on day 21 of the menstrual cycle. A level > 3 ng/ml means ovulation likely occurred.
Step 2 - Order testing based on ovulation status

  • No evidence of ovulation
    • Check TSH, prolactin, FSH, and LH
    • In women with signs of PCOS (e.g. acne, hirsutism, male-pattern hair loss), also order free and total testosterone, DHEA-S, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP)

  • Evidence of ovulation
    • Evaluate ovarian reserve with one or more of the following tests:
      • Anti-Müllerian hormone test - level < 1.66 ng/ml suggests low ovarian reserve
      • FSH and estradiol on Day 3 of cycle - FSH >10 - 15 mIU/ml and estradiol >60 - 80 pg/ml suggests low ovarian reserve
      • Pelvic ultrasound with antral follicle count - antral follicles are resting follicles 2 - 10 mm in diameter that can be seen on an ultrasound. Their sum is directly proportional to the number of eggs remaining in the ovary. A count of < 4 follicles (both ovaries combined) suggests low ovarian reserve.
    • Test partner semen
    • Further testing when indicated
      • Pelvic ultrasound - evaluate for uterine abnormalities
      • Hysterosalpingogram - evaluate for tubal patency
Step 3 - Considerations based on results
  • Abnormal TSH - hypo- or hyperthyroidism should be treated to see if ovulation returns
  • Elevated prolactin - prolactinoma should be treated (surgery or dopamine agonists) to see if ovulation returns
  • PCOS - in obese women, weight loss of ≥ 15% can cause ovulation to return. Metformin may be beneficial for women with type two diabetes or glucose intolerance. Clomiphene is the recommended first-line treatment for infertility in PCOS.
  • Low ovarian reserve - referral to infertility specialist for ovarian stimulation, IVF, etc.
  • Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (low FSH and LH) - referral to infertility specialist. Pulsatile GnRH therapy can restore ovulation in many women. Exogenous FSH and LH may also be used.
  • Abnormal semen - referral to urologist for further evaluation/treatment
  • Uterine or tubal abnormalities - referral to infertility specialist for further evaluation/treatment

  • Values are based on samples from men who had fathered a pregnancy in the previous year and taken after 2 to 7 days of abstinence. Cutoff values are 5th percentile.
  • Abnormal results should be confirmed on repeat analysis at least 1 month later
  • Reference [10]
Normal semen parameters
Measure Normal value
Sperm concentration
  • ≥ 15 million sperm/ml
Motility
  • ≥ 40% forward progression
Total motile sperm count (TMC)
  • TMC = (sperm volume) X (sperm concentration) X (% motile)
  • TMC < 20 million is associated with a lower probability of fathering a child
Sperm morphology
  • ≥ 4% normal forms
White blood cell count
  • < 1 million/ml

  • Reference [Manufacturer's PI, 10]
Infertility drugs
Clomiphene (Clomid®)
  • Mechanism
    • Clomiphene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). See SERM activity table for more.
    • Clomiphene blocks estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus (and possibly the pituitary), inhibiting negative feedback from estradiol. GnRH release is increased, leading to higher FSH levels that stimulate follicular development (see HPO axis above).
  • Dosing
    • Starting: 50 mg once daily for 5 days starting on the 5th day of the cycle. For women with no recent menstruation, therapy may be started at any time.
    • Dose may be increased to 100 mg/day in subsequent cycles. In studies, doses up to 150 mg/day have been used.
    • Only 3 cycles are recommended, but it has been used for up to 6 cycles in some studies
    • Dosage form: 50 mg tablet
    • Generic: - YES / less than $50 for 30 tablets
  • Other
    • Side effects include headache (34%), hot flashes (33%), irritability (21%), fatigue (14%), dizziness (7%), thin endometrium (15% - 50%), and visual blurring or other visual symptoms such as spots or flashes (2%).
    • Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may occur. Symptoms include abdominal or pelvic pain, weight gain, discomfort, and distention.
    • Increases chance of multiple pregnancies (up to 12.5% in some studies)
    • Use lower dose in PCOS
Letrozole (Femara®)
  • Mechanism
    • In the ovaries, the aromatase enzyme converts testosterone and androstenedione to estradiol. Letrozole inhibits aromatase and blocks the production of estradiol. With decreasing estradiol levels, negative feedback on the pituitary is diminished, and FSH levels rise, stimulating follicular development (see HPO axis above).
  • Dosing
    • Dosing: 2.5 - 5 mg once daily for 5 days starting on Day 3 - 5 of the menstrual cycle
    • Doses up to 7.5 mg/day have been used in studies
    • Has been used for up to 5 cycles in studies
    • Dosage form: 2.5 mg tablet
    • Generic: - YES / less than $50 for 30 tablets
  • Other
    • Letrozole is FDA-approved as an adjuvant treatment in breast cancer. Use in infertility is off-label.
    • Side effects include headache (41%), fatigue (21.7%), hot flashes (20.3%), irritability (18%), dizziness (12.3%), abdominal bloating, and breast pain
    • Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may occur. Symptoms include abdominal or pelvic pain, weight gain, discomfort, and distention.
    • Increases chance of multiple pregnancies (up to 14.3% in some studies)
Gonadotropins (Gonal-f®, Menopur®)
  • Mechanism
    • Gonadotropins (FSH and LH) are available in several injectable preparations
    • FSH stimulates follicular development, and LH maintains the corpus luteum (see HPO axis above)
    • Gonal-f is FSH made from recombinant DNA
    • Menopur is 1:1 mixture of FSH and LH. Menopur is extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women.
  • Dosing
    • Gonadotropin is injected daily starting on Day 3 - 5 of the menstrual cycle
    • Ovarian response is monitored by ultrasound
    • Once appropriate follicular development is observed, hCG is injected to stimulate ovulation
    • Injections are very expensive
  • Other
    • May cause abdominal bloating (27 - 34%), injection site reactions (10%), and breast pain
    • Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may occur. Symptoms include abdominal or pelvic pain, weight gain, discomfort, and distention.
    • Increases chance of multiple pregnancies (up to 36% in some studies)


STUDIES | INFERTILITY








STUDIES | INFERTILITY IN PCOS




STUDIES | IVF

ICSI studies

RCT
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection vs Conventional IVF in Non-severe Male Factor Infertility, Lancet (2024) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=2387, length = 1 transfer) in couples with infertility with non-severe male factor without a history of poor fertilization
  • Treatment: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection vs Conventional IVF
  • Primary outcome: Livebirth after the first embryo transfer
  • Results:
    • Live births: Intracytoplasmic injection - 33.8%, Conventional IVF - 36.6% (p=0.16)
  • Findings: In couples with infertility with non-severe male factor, ICSI did not improve live birth rate compared with conventional IVF. Given that ICSI is an invasive procedure associated with additional costs and potential increased risks to offspring health, routine use is not recommended in this population.
RCT
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection vs Conventional IVF When Sperm Count and Mobility are Normal, Lancet (2021) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=1064, length = 1 transfer) in couples who had undergone ≤ 2 previous conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection attempts where the male had normal sperm count and mobility
  • Treatment: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection vs Conventional IVF
  • Primary outcome: Livebirth after the first embryo transfer from the initiated cycle
  • Results:
    • Live births: Intracytoplasmic injection - 35%, Conventional IVF - 31% (p=0.27)
  • Findings: In couples with infertility in whom the male partner has a normal total sperm count and motility, intracytoplasmic sperm injection did not improve the livebirth rate compared with conventional IVF. Our results challenge the value of the routine use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in assisted reproduction techniques for this population.
RCT
Physiological, hyaluronan-selected ICSI vs Standard ICSI for infertility treatment, Lancet (2019) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=2772, length = 1 transfer of 1 - 3 fresh embryos) in women undergoing IVF with embryos formed from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
  • Treatment: Hyaluronan-based sperm selection for ICSI (so-called physiological ICSI [PICSI]) vs standard ICSI
  • Primary outcome: Full-term (≥37 weeks’ gestational age) livebirth
  • Results:
    • Live births: Physiological ICSI (PICSI) - 27.4%, Standard ICSI - 25.2% (p=0.18)
  • Findings: Compared with ICSI, PICSI does not significantly improve term livebirth rates. The wider use of PICSI, therefore, is not recommended at present.

Endometrial procedures

RCT
Timing by Endometrial Receptivity Testing vs Standard Timing in IVF, JAMA (2022) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial (N=767 | length = 1 transfer) in women undergoing IVF with a euploid blastocyst(s)
  • Treatment: Receptivity-timed frozen embryo transfer with adjusted duration of progesterone exposure prior to transfer vs Standard timing
  • Primary outcome: Live birth
  • Results:
    • Live births: Receptivity timing - 58.5%, Standard timing - 61.9% (p=0.38)
  • Findings: Among patients for whom in vitro fertilization yielded a euploid blastocyst, the use of receptivity testing to guide the timing of frozen embryo transfer, compared with standard timing for transfer, did not significantly improve the rate of live birth. The findings do not support routine use of receptivity testing to guide the timing of embryo transfer during in vitro fertilization.
RCT
Endometrial Scratching vs None Before IVF, NEJM (2019) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=1364, length = 1 transfer) in women planning IVF with their own oocytes
  • Treatment: Endometrial scratching vs No endometrial scratching
  • Primary outcome: Live birth
  • Results:
    • Live births: Endometrial scratching - 26.1%, No endometrial scratching - 26.1%
  • Findings: Endometrial scratching did not result in a higher rate of live birth than no intervention among women undergoing IVF

Frozen vs fresh embryos

RCT
Transfer of Frozen vs Fresh Embryos in IVF, NEJM (2018) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=2157, length = 1 transfer) in ovulatory women with infertility due to tubal factors, male factors, or both
  • Treatment: Transfer of fresh embryos vs frozen embryos
  • Primary outcome: Live birth (≥ 28 weeks gestation) after the first transfer
  • Results:
    • Live births: Frozen - 49%, Fresh - 50% (p=0.50)
  • Findings: The live-birth rate did not differ significantly between fresh-embryo transfer and frozen-embryo transfer among ovulatory women with infertility, but frozen-embryo transfer resulted in a lower risk of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
RCT
Transfer of Frozen vs Fresh Embryos in IVF in Women Without PCOS, NEJM (2018) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=782, length = 1 transfer) in infertile women without PCOS
  • Treatment: Transfer of fresh embryos vs frozen embryos
  • Primary outcome: Pregnancy after first transfer defined as pregnancy with a detectable heart rate after 12 weeks of gestation
  • Results:
    • Live births: Frozen - 36%, Fresh - 35% (p=0.65)
  • Findings: Among infertile women without the polycystic ovary syndrome who were undergoing IVF, the transfer of frozen embryos did not result in significantly higher rates of ongoing pregnancy or live birth than the transfer of fresh embryos.
RCT
Transfer of Frozen vs Fresh Single Blastocyst in IVF, Lancet (2019) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=1650, length = 1 transfer) in women with regular menstrual cycles undergoing their first cycle of IVF
  • Treatment: Single fresh blastocyst transfer vs Single frozen blastocyst transfer
  • Primary outcome: Singleton livebirth rate
  • Results:
    • Live births: Frozen - 50%, Fresh - 40% (p<0.0001)
  • Findings: Frozen single blastocyst transfer resulted in a higher singleton livebirth rate than did fresh single blastocyst transfer in ovulatory women with good prognosis. The increased risk of pre-eclampsia after frozen blastocyst transfer warrants further studies.
RCT
Freeze-all Embryos vs Fresh Transfer of an Embryo in Women with Fertility Issues, BMJ (2020) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=460, length = 1 transfer) in women with regular menstrual cycles undergoing IVF (cycles 1, 2, or 3) for male, tubal, uterine, or unexplained infertility
  • Treatment: Freeze-all embryos and transfer one after one completed menstrual cycle vs Transfer fresh embryo on day 5 of culture
  • Primary outcome: Ongoing pregnancy rate defined as a detectable fetal heart beat after eight weeks of gestation
  • Results:
    • Primary outcome: Freeze-all - 27.8%, Fresh - 29.6% (p=0.76)
    • No significant differences between groups were observed for positive human chorionic gonadotropin rate or pregnancy loss, and none of the women had severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
  • Findings: In women with regular menstrual cycles, a freeze-all strategy with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist triggering for final oocyte maturation did not result in higher ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates than a fresh transfer strategy. The findings warrant caution in the indiscriminate application of a freeze-all strategy when no apparent risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is present.

Other IVF studies

RCT
TLT vs EEVA-TLT vs No TLT for Embryo Selection in IVF, Lancet (2023) [PubMed abstract]
  • Definitions: Time-lapse embryo culture technology (TLT) is an embryo selection method that allows the continuous, dynamic assessment of embryo morphological changes without the need to remove embryos from the incubator. Early Embryo Viability Assessment (EEVA) is a type of TLT that uses an algorithm for assessing embryos in the first 3 days of growth.
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=1731, length = 12 months) in couples undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection
  • Treatment: TLT vs EEVA-TLT vs No TLT
  • Primary outcome: The co-primary endpoints were the cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate within 12 months in all women and the ongoing pregnancy rate after fresh single embryo transfer in a good prognosis population
  • Results:
    • 12-month cumulative pregnancy rate: TLT - 50.9%, EEVA-TLT - 50.8%, No TLT - 49.4% (p=0.85)
    • Good prognosis population: TLT - 36.8%, EEVA-TLT - 38.2%, No TLT - 37.8% (p=0.90)
  • Findings: Neither time-lapse-based embryo selection using the EEVA test nor uninterrupted culture conditions in a time-lapse incubator improved clinical outcomes compared with routine methods. Widespread application of time-lapse monitoring for fertility treatments with the promise of improved results should be questioned.
RCT
Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy vs None, NEJM (2021) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized controlled trial (N=1212 | length = 1 year) in women aged 20 - 37 years with subfertility and the availability of three or more good-quality blastocysts (defined as having good morphologic criteria)
  • Treatment: Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) vs None. Only single frozen-embryo transfers were performed each time. Women could receive up to 3 transfers within a year.
  • Primary outcome: Cumulative livebirth rate that resulted from up to three embryo transfers performed within 1 year after randomization
  • Results:
    • Primary outcome: PGT-A - 77.2%, None - 81.8% (HR 0.94, 95%CI [0.89 - 1.00])
    • Cumulative pregnancy loss: PGT-A - 8.7%, None - 12.6% (HR 0.69, 95%CI [0.49 - 0.98])
    • Good birth outcome: PGT-A - 62.4%, None - 63.5% (HR 0.98, 95%CI [0.90 - 1.07])
    • Good birth outcome defined as a live birth at 37 weeks or more of gestation, with a birth weight between 2500 and 4000 g and without a major congenital anomaly.
  • Findings: Among women with three or more good-quality blastocysts, conventional IVF resulted in a cumulative live-birth rate that was noninferior to the rate with PGT-A.
OBS
Association of IVF With Childhood Cancer in the United States, JAMA Pediatrics (2019) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Retrospective cohort study (N=2,542,533, length = 10 years) in children born in the United States
  • Exposure: Conceived via IVF vs Not conceived via IVF
  • Primary outcome: Cancer diagnosed in the first decade of life
  • Results:
    • Cancer rate (per 1,000,000 person-years): IVF - 252, Non-IVF - 193 (HR 1.17; 95%CI [1.00-1.36])
  • Findings: This study found a small association of IVF with overall cancers of early childhood, but it did observe an increased rate of embryonal cancers, particularly hepatic tumors, that could not be attributed to IVF rather than to underlying infertility. Continued follow-up for cancer occurrence among children conceived via IVF is warranted.
RCT
Prednisone vs Placebo for Live Birth in Recurrent IVF Failure, JAMA (2023) [PubMed abstract]
  • Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial (N=715 | length = 1 round) in women who had a history of 2 or more unsuccessful embryo transfer cycles, were younger than 38 years when oocytes were retrieved, and were planning to undergo frozen-thawed embryo transfer with the availability of good-quality embryos
  • Treatment: Prednisone 10 mg once daily vs Placebo from the day at which they started endometrial preparation for frozen-thawed embryo transfer through early pregnancy
  • Primary outcome: Live birth, defined as the delivery of any number of neonates born at 28 or more weeks' gestation with signs of life
  • Results:
    • Primary outcome: Prednisone - 37.8%, Placebo - 38.8% (p=0.78)
  • Findings: Among patients with recurrent implantation failure, treatment with prednisone did not improve live birth rate compared with placebo. Data suggested that the use of prednisone may increase the risk of preterm delivery and biochemical pregnancy loss. Our results challenge the value of prednisone use in clinical practice for the treatment of recurrent implantation failure.


STUDIES | OTHER




  • References PMID 25423325, PMID 25210448, PMID 10874566
SERM ACTIVITY TABLE
SERM Product Endometrium Vagina Breast Bone
formation
Hypothalamus
Bazedoxifene Duavee® Neutral to
Antagonist
No data Neutral to
Antagonist
Agonist ?
Clomiphene Clomid® Antagonist ? ? Agonist Antagonist
Ospemifene Osphena® Neutral to
Partial agonist
Agonist Antagonist Agonist ?
Raloxifene Evista® Neutral to
Partial agonist
Neutral Antagonist Agonist ?
Tamoxifen Nolvadex® Neutral to
Agonist
Agonist Antagonist Agonist ?


BIBLIOGRAPHY