What is the Optimal Cycle Regimen for Frozen- Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles

March 4, 2021 updated by: Prof Dr. Human Fatemi, ART Fertility Clinics LLC

What is the Optimal Cycle Regimen for Frozen- Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles: Spontaneous Natural Cycles Versus Hormonal Replacement Treatment (HRT) Cycles

Investigators will be comparing artificial (HRT) frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles to correctly conducted spontaneous natural cycles after the transfer of a chromosomally normal embryo.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Detailed Description

The most common treatment protocols for frozen embryo transfers include natural cycles with or without human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) trigger or endometrial preparation with hormonal treatment (artificial cycles), with or without Gonadotrophin - releasing hormone agonist suppression. Recent studies comparing artificial and natural cycles concluded that the optimal means of endometrial preparation for frozen- thawed cycle remains unclear and both options may be offered to women with regular ovulatory cycles.

Correctly identified spontaneous natural cycles are the preferred option for frozen-thawed embryo transfer in women with regular menstrual cycles.

Investigators will be comparing artificial (HRT) frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles to correctly conducted spontaneous natural cycles after the transfer of a chromosomally normal embryo.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 42 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Female who underwent a previous ovarian stimulation for In Vitro Fertilisation/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection with pre-implantation genetic screening and embryo vitrification, who are planned for their first frozen thaw embryo transfer cycle

Description

Inclusion criteria include the following:

  1. Women aged 18 years to 42 years with regular menses (26-34 days)
  2. Having 1 or 2 chromosomally normal cryopreserved blastocysts available for transfer.
  3. First frozen-thawed transfer cycle
  4. Progesterone level < 1.5 ng/mL day of trigger injection in stimulation cycle from which embryos to be transferred were created.

Exclusion criteria include the following:

  1. Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  2. Poor ovarian responder in accordance with Bologna criteria
  3. Uterine abnormality US / saline infusion sonohysterogram
  4. Previous dilatation & curettage (D&C)
  5. Hydrosalpinx
  6. Asherman syndrome
  7. History of endometriosis
  8. ICSI due to severe male factor with testicular sperm
  9. Any known contraindications or allergy to oral estradiol or progesterone.
  10. Discontinuation of HRT medication ( medication error in research HRT cycle )
  11. Failure to detect ovulation in the research natural cycle
  12. Duration of estradiol exposure ≥ 17 days and endometrium < 6mm
  13. Spontaneous ovulation in HRT artificial cycle

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Artificial (HRT) Cycles
  1. Commence estradiol valerate (E2) 4mg from day 2 or 3 of period for 3 days
  2. Increase E2 to 6mg on day 4 of E2 treatment, according to clinician discretion based on endometrial thickness.
  3. Transvaginal scan throughout the HRT cycle to not only monitor endometrial development but to also exclude the presence of a dominant follicle on the ovaries.
  4. Serial measurements of serum LH (luteinizing hormone), estradiol and progesterone levels.
  5. Initial progesterone dose of 100mg at 22hrs (vaginal suppository) after ≥ 7 days and ≤ 16 days of estradiol administration when the minimal endometrial thickness achieved is 6mm with a trilaminar appearance.
  6. Subsequently increase progesterone administration to 100mg vaginally three times daily. Continue E2 administration 6mg (3 tablets daily).
  7. Embryo transfer is scheduled on the 5th full day of progesterone administration.
Spontaneous natural cycles:
  1. Day 2 of menses and throughout patients' natural cycle scans to monitor follicular growth.
  2. Measurements of serum LH, estradiol and progesterone levels to determine ovulation.
  3. The LH surge will be considered to have begun when the concentration rises by 180% above the most recent serum value and continues to rise thereafter (Irani et al. 2017, Fatemi et al., 2010).
  4. Day 1 after the LH rise, a decrease in estradiol concentration is identified. Twenty four hours later progesterone concentrations rise with a level of greater than or equal to 1.5ng/mL confirming ovulation (day 0) (Irani et al., 2017; Speroff et al.). This is considered as day 0 with initiation of vaginal progesterone 100mg at 22hrs that night. The following day (day 1) the patient increases progesterone administration to 100mg vaginally 8 hourly and continues until 7 weeks gestation as per clinic protocol. Embryo transfer is scheduled 5 days (day 5) following confirmation of ovulation (day 0).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Ongoing pregnancy rate to 8 weeks gestation
Time Frame: 8 weeks
viable pregnancy to 8 gestational weeks
8 weeks
Pregnancy rate beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) > 5 IU
Time Frame: 12 days
Number of patients with a hCG > 5 IU out of the number of patients who underwent an embryo transfer with one or two euploid embryos
12 days
Biochemical pregnancy rate
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Positive ß-hCG, but at 5 gestational weeks no ultrasonographic visible gestational sac seen
5 weeks
Clinical implantation rate
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Number of gestational sacs observed by ultrasound at 6 weeks of gestation divided by the number of embryos transferred
6 weeks
Clinical pregnancy rate
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Ultrasonographic visible sac at 5 gestational weeks
5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

ART Fertility Clinics LLC

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Carol Coughlan, PhD, IVI Middle East Fertility Clinic LLC

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 10, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 15, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

July 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 15, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 16, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

May 17, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 8, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 4, 2021

Last Verified

March 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1901-ABU-015-CC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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