Comparison of Letrozole with Timed Intercourse Versus Clomiphene Citrate with Intrauterine Insemination in Patients with Unexplained
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The Journal of Reproductive Medicine® Comparision of Letrozole with Timed Intercourse Versus Clomiphene Citrate with Intrauterine Insemination in Patients with Unexplained Infertility Jorge Rodriguez-Purata, M.D., Joseph Lee, B.A., Michael Whitehouse, B.A., Benjamin Sandler, M.D., Alan Copperman, M.D., and Tanmoy Mukherjee, M.D. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes of patients with PRs after timed IUI were also significantly higher in the unexplained infertility who underwent letrozole (LET)– LET versus CCstimulated group (12.3% vs 11.5%). stimulated controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with Moreover, clinical PRs in LET with IC were significant timed sexual intercourse ly higher than CC with IUI (IC) as compared to patients (15.0% vs. 11.5%). treated with clomiphene We suggest that physicians CONCLUSION: Unex citrate (CC) and intrauterine consider LET and timed IC plained infertility patients insemination (IUI). who underwent LET stimu STUDY DESIGN: A non rather than CC and IUI for … lation with IC were found to randomized, retrospective unexplained infertility. have better pregnancy out study where unexplained in comes as compared to those fertility patients (n=7,764) who underwent timed IC or underwent a COS cycle with both LET and timed IC IUI with CC stimulation. (J Reprod Med 2016;61:000– or with CC and IUI from January 2010–June 2014. 000) One group consisted of patients who completed a COS cycle with LET and were instructed to have sexual IC. Keywords: artificial insemination; clomiphene; The other included patients were treated with CC and clomiphene citrate; fertility agents, female; in vitro underwent IUI. Pregnancy rates (PRs) were compared fertilization; infertility; intercourse; intrauterine between groups. insemination; letrozole; pregnancy rates; unex- RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed in plained infertility. each group’s age or serum folliculestimulating hor mone levels. A statistical significance in LET versus Nearly 30% of couples trying to conceive are di- CCstimulated groups was observed for mean endome agnosed with unexplained infertility, and a uni- trial thickness (8.3±1.7 vs. 7.9±1.8 mm) and follicular form protocol of management has yet to be agreed response (2.0±1.0 vs. 2.3± 1.3), respectively. Clinical upon. To a large extent, this has resulted in treat- PRs after timed IC were significantly higher in the LET ment regimens that are determined by physician versus CCstimulated group (15.0% vs 11.8%). Clinical preference.1 A diagnosis of unexplained infertil- From Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York. Address correspondence to: Joseph Lee, B.A., Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, 635 Madison Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022 ([email protected]). Financial Disclosure: The authors have no connection to any companies or products mentioned in this article. 0024-7758/16/6100-00–0000/$18.00/0 © Journal of Reproductive Medicine®, Inc. The Journal of Reproductive Medicine® 1 2 The Journal of Reproductive Medicine® ity is typically made after confirmation of normal sensitivity to FSH without antagonizing ERs, thus ovarian reserve and ovulatory markers, tubal pa- avoiding an antiestrogenic affection on the endo- tency, and partner semen analysis.2 Controlled metrial lining.5 Although LET stimulation can re- ovarian stimulation (COS) is generally considered sult in some side effects such as hot flashes, muscle a first-line treatment in patients with unexplained aches, and gastrointestinal disturbances,19 the side infertility, and several agents with different modes effect profile is typically well tolerated. Further- of action are commonly employed. more, LET appears to cause fewer congenital ab- Two oral agents that have been widely used for normalities in comparison to CC.18 Although both COS are the selective estrogen receptor modulator CC and LET have both been widely utilized for clomiphene citrate (CC) and the third generation COS in IUI protocols, the choice of agent is largely aromatase nonsteroidal inhibitor (AI) letrozole a matter of physician discretion, and the current (LET). CC clomiphene citrate has been widely used opinion favors LET to increase PRs.20 worldwide, and it is the first choice in normo- To date, several prospective, randomized stud- gonadotropic oligo/amenorrheic infertility (World ies and metaanalyses comparing these agents have Health Organization [WHO] group 2).3 CC is a non- contributed to our current knowledge base.5-7 LET steroidal triphenylethylene derivative that exhibits has appeared to be just as safe and effective as CC. both estrogenic agonist and antagonist properties, However, small sample sizes (<100 patients) and although its estrogenic agonist properties man- conflicting studies have left physicians indefinite ifest only when endogenous estrogen levels are as to the significance and applicability of prior extremely low.4 CC acts by binding to estrogen results. Recently, LET has been advocated as the receptors (ERs) in the hypothalamus, causing a optimal agent for ovulation induction due to an perceived drop in circulating estrogens, which observed decrease in the frequency of its side increases gonadotropin secretion by the pituitary effects, thus leading to an increasingly favorable and subsequent ovulation.5 Various adverse ef- attitude in its use for standard care in many cen- fects have been described, mainly secondary to its ters. We previously conducted a retrospective anal- antiestrogenic action, including hot flashes, pre- ysis that compared LET versus CC efficacy com- menstrual syndrome–like symptoms, suboptimal bined with IUI in patients with unexplained infer- endometrial thickness, and decreased cervical tility and demonstrated a trend towards higher PRs mucus production, all of which are also associ- with LET usage.21 ated with reducing pregnancy rates. Lastly, CC is Given the fact that LET is associated with min- more likely to produce a multifollicular response, imal antiestrogenic effects, we postulated that the potentially increasing the multiple pregnancy use of IUI would not enhance the PR of LET cycles. rates.6,7 Laterally with CC treatment, intrauter- In order to test this hypothesis, we compared re- ine insemination (IUI) has been widely used to productive outcomes in patients with unexplained circumvent the poor cervical mucus production, infertility who underwent a LET cycle with timed and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger sexual intercourse (IC) to those who underwent a is typically employed in those cycles in an effort CC cycle with timed IUI. to appropriately time insemination procedures.8,9 Nevertheless, although the routine use of timed Materials and Methods IUI has been shown to be beneficial by numerous Patient Information studies, overall outcomes remain ambiguous, with This observational, retrospective cohort study was many previous reports not supporting its use.10-15 performed at an academic, private fertility practice. Letrozole is a potent, reversible AI approved by We reviewed the electronic medical records of all the FDA as a chemotherapeutic agent in postmeno- patients undergoing treatment with CC or LET pausal women with metastatic cancer16; it has been from January 2010 to June 2014. The choice of COS used in reproductive medicine since 2001.17 When protocol was determined by the treating physician. aromatization of androgens is inhibited, the re- Patients <40 years of age diagnosed with unex- sulting reduction of circulating estrogens pro- plained infertility (normal ovarian reserve screen- motes the growth of ovarian follicles through the ing [day 3 FSH ≤12.5 mUI/mL, day 3 estradiol ≤80 increased secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone pg/mL, and AMH ≥1 ng/mL]) with partners having (FSH), yielding a transient intraovarian androgen- normal semen analysis according to WHO param- ic environment. This appears to increase follicular eters22 were included in the study. Only cycles Volume 61, Number 0-0/Month-Month 2016 3 timed with r-hCG were included. Patients who Secondary end points were the number of mature had a canceled cycle or were still undergoing a follicles (≥14 mm) and endometrial thickness (mm), treatment cycle were excluded from this analysis. as measured by transvaginal ultrasound on the day of hCG trigger. Ovulation Induction Letrozole (Femara, Novartis, East Hanover, New Statistical Analyses Jersey) or CC (Clomid, Sanofi-Aventis, Bridge- Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS water, New Jersey) were administered starting on statistical package (IBM, Armonk, New York). Con- cycle day 3 until cycle day 7 of a spontaneous or tinuous variables were assessed by Student’s t test a progesterone-induced cycle. Initial dosages of or by Wilcoxon rank sum test if the data did not 5 mg and 100 mg were used with LET and CC, appear normally distributed. Categorical variables respectively, until ovarian response was observed. were assessed by χ2 tests or two-tailed Fisher’s Monitoring by transvaginal ultrasound was per- exact tests in cases of small cell frequencies. A formed starting on cycle day 12 until a dominant probability value (p value) of <0.05 was consid- follicle (≥20 mm) was observed, and then ovula- ered statistically significant. tion triggering medication was prescribed; endo- Because of its retrospective nature informed con- metrial thickness and pattern (I, II, or II) were sent was not necessary. The study protocol