The Effect of Follitropin Alfa in Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Protocol for In Vitro Fertilization Cycles

BACKGROUND: Follitropin alfa (FA) is one of the most widely used exogenous gonadotropins in both agonist and antagonist protocols for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, reports of its effectiveness are limited, particularly in terms of its impact on overall IVF outcomes and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Therefore, in this study, FA competency was investigated by evaluating its effect on IVF outcomes and OHSS, administering agonist and antagonist COS protocols. METHODS: A retrospective study with 120 subjects was conducted. Outcomes comprising the number of retrieved and fertilized oocytes, quality of embryos, and clinical pregnancies were assessed. Statistical correlation between FA dose, IVF outcomes, and the incidence of OHSS was also analyzed. All statistical analyses were performed at 95% confidence level. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in both protocols regarding retrieved oocytes (p=0.604), fertilized oocytes (p=0.761), embryo quality including good, average, poor embryo (p=0.875, p=0.565, p=0.785), and clinical pregnancy (p= 0.844). However, FA doses in the agonist protocol were shown notably higher (p= 0.001). Negative correlations were also observed between FA dose and the number of retrieved oocytes (r=−0.255, p<0.01), fertilized oocytes (r=−0.296, p<0.01), and good quality embryos (r=−0.231, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that FA yields similar outcomes in both COS protocols, but agonist protocols require higher doses of FA and evaluation of its effect on OHSS is an important area of research for further investigation.