Impact of baseline luteinizing hormone (LH) level and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) on pregnancy outcomes in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients undergoing IVF/ICSI cycle in antagonist protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder often associated with infertility. There are several factors that could impair the pregnancy outcomes of PCOS patients. The latter endocrine profile along with high baseline luteinizing hormone (LH), high LH/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, as well as high anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels appear detrimental for patients undergoing In vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of baseline LH and AMH levels on pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients performing IVF/ICSI cycles in an antagonist protocol. Materials and methods: The current investigation is a retrospective cohort study conducted at IVF Tiziri Center in Algiers on PCOS patients undergoing IVF/ICSI from January 2017 to March 2021. According to the Rotterdam criteria, patients aged between 23 and 42 years were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (G1) =91 patients; group 2 (G2) =100 all patients had an LH level >10 IU/L. Both groups had AMH levels >5 ng/mL. Controlled ovarian stimulation was done with a fixed antagonist protocol, as for the ovulation it was triggered with human chorionic gonadotropin or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. Fresh and frozen embryo transfers were, thereafter, evaluated. Concerning the statistical analysis, it was done with SPSS software. Results: The mean LH level was 15.16±7.08 for G1 versus 5.7±1.86 for G2 (P=10−6), mean LH/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio 2.71±1.36 in G1 versus 1.05±0.44 (P=10−6) and mean AMH level was 9.27±3.90 for G1 versus 7.53±2.76 for G2 with (P<10−3). The mean follicles over 11 mm in diameter, estradiol (E2) level, and progesterone level on the trigger day did not differ significantly between G1 and G2. Also, the mean of oocytes and metaphase II oocytes retrieved fertilization, and blastulation rate were similar for both groups. The pregnancy rate for G1 was 40.6% versus 54% (P>0.05); the ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) was 28.6% in G1 versus 47% in G2 (P=0.078); and the miscarriage rate was 32.4% for G1 versus 12.9 for G2 (P=0.072). A univariate analysis was performed with all confounder factors supposed to impact pregnancy outcomes: AMH level did not impact pregnancy outcomes, whereas LH level <11 IU/L has been determined as a threshold impacting positively on OPR with odds ratio=2.01 (95% CI: 1.05–3.87). After a multivariate logistic regression including con-founders, 3 factors significantly influence OPR: LH, E2, and infertility with known etiology. Conclusion: The high baseline LH level impairs pregnancy outcomes in PCOs patients undergoing an antagonist protocol IVF/ICSI cycle. The identification of PCOS patients by their endocrine profile enables the establishment of a prognosis for council patients and a plan for an individualized therapeutic strategy.