Effects of growth hormone co-treatment on in vitro fertilization outcomes in women with expected normal ovarian response

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adjuvant growth hormone (GH) therapy on in vitro fertilization outcomes in women with infertility with expected normal ovarian response who underwent gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol with dual triggering. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of women who underwent GnRH antagonist cycles with dual triggering in a single tertiary center between 2017 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 1054 women with expected normal ovarian response were evaluated, of which 131 were found to receive GH co-treatment (study group). Moreover, 950 women did not receive any adjuvant therapy (control group). Their cycle outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The number of retrieved oocytes, oocyte maturation rates, quality of embryos, miscarriage rates, and multiple pregnancy rates were comparable among women who underwent GnRH antagonist cycles with and without GH co-treatment. The number of obtained 2PN embryos (5.68±2.46 vs 5.06±2.5; p=0.003), fertilization rates (0.84±0.16 vs 0.76±0.18; p<0.001), implantation rates (0.34 vs 0.25; p=0.006), clinical pregnancy rates (50.4% vs 38%; p=0.008), and live birth delivery rates (41.8% vs 32.2%; p=0.007) were significantly higher in women who received GH co-treatment. CONCLUSION: GH co-treatment significantly increased the clinical pregnancy rates and live birth delivery rates in women with infertility and expected normal ovarian response who underwent GnRH antagonist protocol with dual triggering for oocyte maturation, which was possibly due to the increasing endometrial receptivity or improving oocyte quality.