Markers of Ovarian Response in the Induction of Ovulation for IVF Cycle

Poor responding of ovaries to ovarian stimulating drugs is one of the most important problems in assisted reproductive technologies. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the gonadotropin-induced ovarian response to induction of ovulation for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycles. This descriptive-analytic study was conducted using data of 306 women under 40 years old who had undergone IVF for the first time. The participants were divided into three groups, based on the number of dominant follicles as follows poor, normal, and high responders. Factors affecting ovarian response and also independent predictor variables of fertilization were assessed by multiple regression. The mean age of the poor and normal responders was higher than that among the high responders. There were no significant differences among the three groups regarding the mean duration of infertility, the basal serum level of FSH and LH on day 2, the number of prescribed vials of gonadotropin, and the duration of ovarian stimulation. The mean number of retrieved oocytes with a significant difference were as follow poor responders (2.73±1.79), normal responders (6.62±3.3) and high responders (14.8 ± 5.62). Poor responders had fewer transferred embryos than high responders. Multivariate analysis showed that only duration of infertility and basal serum level of LH were independent predictors for clinical fertilization. The results of the multivariate regression analysis showed that apart from the serum level of LH on day 2 and duration of infertility the other markers of ovarian responses were not applicable. More investigations are needed to introduce factors that could be used for selection of women eligible for IVF cycles.