Authors
Galia Oron, M.D., Efrat Esh-Broder, M.D., Weon-Young Son, Ph.D., Hananel Holzer, M.D., Togas Tulandi, M.D., M.H.C.M.
Volume 103, Issue 6, Pages 1526-1531
Abstract
Objective:
To compare serum hCG levels after transfer of a single fresh cleavage embryo and of a single fresh blastocyst embryo and to determine the predictive value of serum hCG levels for pregnancy outcomes.
Design:
A single center retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
Tertiary university health center.
Patient(s):
All fresh single ETs between December 2008 and December 2013.
Intervention(s):
None.
Main Outcome Measure(s):
Mean serum hCG levels on day 16 after oocyte collection, after the transfer of a fresh single cleavage embryo and a fresh single blastocyst embryo were compared. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine the association of potential factors on hCG value and a clinical pregnancy.
Result(s):
One thousand twenty-six fresh single ETs were analyzed, 801 (638 pregnancies) from a single blastocyst transfer and 225 (167 pregnancies) from a single cleavage ET. The mean hCG levels resulting from a single fresh blastocyst transfer (299 ± 204 IU/L) were significantly higher than those from a cleavage transfer (245 ± 204 IU/L). This difference remained after adjusting for confounding variables. The threshold value predicting a clinical pregnancy for a cleavage embryo was 100 IU/L, and for a blastocyst transfer, 133 IU/L.
Conclusion(s):
Our study suggests that initial serum hCG values are higher after the transfer of a single fresh blastocyst embryo compared with after a single fresh cleavage ET, even after adjusting for confounding variables.
Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(15)00158-2/fulltext