Mid-luteal estradiol levels of poor/good responders and intracytoplasmic sperm injection

OBJECTIVE To assess mid-luteal estradiol (E2) levels in poor and good responders and determine its effect on the outcome after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). METHODS The current study was carried out in females who underwent ICSI from June 2011 to September 2013 in "Islamabad Clinic Serving Infertile Couples". They were categorized into good and poor responders on the basis of female age ≤40 years, basal follicle stimulating hormone ≤12 mIU/ml, and antral follicle count >5, respectively. Their mid-luteal E2 measured on the day of embryo transfer was stratified into groups (A-E) on the basis of 20th, 40th, 60th and 80th percentile values. The outcome was categorized into non-pregnant with beta human chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) 5-25 m IU/ml, and clinical pregnancy with beta hCG>25 m IU/ml. RESULTS The conception rate was 12% (63/513) in poor responders and 72% (237/329) in good responders respectively. The mid-luteal E2 levels were higher in conception as compared to non-conception cycles (p<0.001) in good and poor responders. CONCLUSION Maximum pregnancies in poor and good responders (53% and 98% respectively) with mid-luteal E2 levels above 80th percentiles confirm the role of the increase in mid-luteal E2 for augmentation in conception rate of females after ICSI.