Efficacy of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone in improving oocyte quality in assisted reproductive techniques.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the efficacy of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) versus highly purified urinary human FSH (UFSH) in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). STUDY DESIGN: This prospective, randomized, double-blind study compared uFSH with rFSH in IVF-ET cycles. A total of 254 cycles from 241 patients who attended the infertility clinic at Samsung Cheil Hospital from January to August 2001 were included in the study. With pituitary desensitization using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and a short protocol, rFSH was administered in 131 cycles; uFSH was administered in 123 cycles. We analyzed ovarian response, oocyte quality, fertilization rate, embryo quality, pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the uFSH and rFSH groups. RESULTS: Total FSH dosage (1,322.3±526.2 vs. 2,124.4±881.9 IU) and dosage per retrieved oocyte (90.6 ± 36.0 vs. 138.0 ± 57.2IU) were significantly lower in the rFSH group than those in the uFSH group (P <.001). The proportion of good-quality oocytes (grade 1 and 2) was higher in the rFSH group (68.2% vs. 64.8%, P=.024). Moreover, the proportion of atretic oocytes (grade 5) was lower in the rFSH group (7.5% vs. 10.3%, P=.002). The fertilization rate, quality of transferred embryos, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: In women undergoing COH, rFSH revealed more efficient ovarian response and better quality of oocytes than did uFSH.