Publication:

Effects of letrozole alone or letrozole in combination with low-dose intramuscular injection of human menopausal gonadotropin on ovulation and pregnancy of 150 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background Objective of the study was to explore the effects of letrozole (LE) in combination with low-dose intramuscular injection of human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) on the ovulation induction and pregnancy of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods The study comprised of 150 couples who were randomly divided into two groups of 75 each. Group “A” received letrozole (LE) in a dose of 2.5 mg to 5mg /d. LE was started orally starting on 3rd to 5th day of menstrual cycle for 5 consecutive days. Group “B” received letrozole in a dose of 2.5 to 5 mg/day starting on the 3rd to 5th day of menstrual cycle for 5 consecutive days. Starting from the day of oral administration of letrozole, 75 IU HMG was injected intramuscularly on alternate days for 5 consecutive doses. The ovulation induction parameters and pregnancy outcomes were observed.

Results The Group A (LE group) had the most completed cycle (310 cycles), 157 (52.3%) of which had ovulation. The Group B (LE+HMG) group completed the fewest cycles (258 cycles), with 168 (65.1%) of them ovulating. This difference was statistically significant (P 0.05) The pregnancy rate of the Group B was 54.7%, which was significantly higher than that of the Group A (29.3 %) (P<0.05) The average medication cycle of the Group B group was significantly shorter than that of the Group A (P<0.05).

Conclusions The regimen using LE in combination with low-dose intramuscular injection of HMG has satisfactory therapeutic effects on ovulation induction, short medication cycle and high clinical pregnancy rate, which is promising for treating patients with PCOS infertility.