Background: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and growth hormone (GH) supplementation on the improvement of the ovarian reserve markers in women with history of POR in the previous In vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles.
Patients and methods: 90 adult female with POR were randomly allocated into 3 groups; each group included 30 patients. Control group received HMG/GnRH antagonist protocol. GH group received GH/HMG/GnRH antagonist protocol. Patients received daily subcutaneous injection of 2.5mg of GH from day 21 of previous cycle, until the day of HCG injection. DHEA group received DHEA/HMG/GnRH antagonist protocol. Patients received 25 mg of micronized DHEA, administered orally three times a day, for 12 weeks before starting the cycle of ovulation induction. The number of retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and embryos transferred, chemical pregnancy rate, the clinical pregnancy rate and LBR were recorded.
Results: The mean values of the number of the oocytes retrieved, the fertilized oocytes, the transferred embryo, the chemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate and live birth rate (LBR) were statistically significant higher in the DHEA group compared to the control and the GH groups (P < 0.05). While, there was no significant difference between the control group and the GH group (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The DHEA supplementation to the IVF protocol improved the number and quality of retrieved oocytes, the rate of clinical pregnancy and the LBR compared to the control group or the GH co-treatment to the IVF protocol.