P-640 No impact of Progestin Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS) on euploid blastocyst rate per cohort of metaphase-II oocytes during PGT-A cycles: a case-control study
Authors: Rania E , Vaiarelli A , Cimadomo D , Pittana E , Gallo C , Fiorenza A , Alfano S , D'Alessandro P , Golino D , Sansone A , Trabucco E , Rienzi L , Ubaldi F M , Venturella R 
Published: June 2023

Study question

Can progestins be used to prevent spontaneous LH surge during ovarian stimulation (OS) without affecting the euploid blastocyst rate (EBR) per metaphase-II (MII) oocytes?

Summary answer

Progestin Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS) (conducted with norethisterone acetate) and conventional-OS with GnRH-antagonist show similar EBR per MII-oocytes

What is known already

PPOS is a novel OS protocol based exogenous progesterone to inhibit LH surge and spontaneous ovulation as an alternative to GnRH analogues. The rationale of its use is that multiple follicular waves arise during the ovarian cycle and no spontaneous ovulation occurs during the luteal phase. PPOS effectiveness and safety have been supported lately in the literature. A recent study reported similar number of euploid blastocysts after PPOS (conducted with medroxyprogesterone acetate) versus conventional-OS with GnRH-antagonist.

Study design, size, duration

Case-control study involving advanced-maternal-age women undergoing ICSI with PGT-A at two private IVF centers (May-2017 to February-2020). 80 PPOS women were matched with 160 control based on maternal-age and ovarian reserve markers. Patients with poor-ovarian-reserve (AFC&lt;3), premature-ovarian-failure, III-IV stage endometriosis, ovarian cyst, severe-male-factor, PGT-SR or PGT-M were excluded. EBR per MII-oocytes was the primary outcome. All other embryological and clinical outcomes were reported.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Both groups underwent recombinant-FSH OS with GnRH-agonist ovulation trigger; the only difference was that norethisterone acetate 10mg/day was administered orally to PPOS patients starting from the second day of the menstrual cycle until trigger. The control group, instead, underwent conventional antagonist protocol. The laboratory procedures were similar in both groups: ICSI, blastocyst culture, trophectoderm biopsy, comprehensive-chromosome-testing to report non-mosaic aneuploidies and vitrified-warmed euploid single-embryo-transfers (SETs).

Main results and the role of chance

The mean fertilization rate per MII-oocytes and blastulation rate per 2PN-zygotes were similar among PPOS and control (75.5%±21.8% versus 71.7±20.7%, p = 0.1; and 56.5%±27.7% versus 53.2%±27.5%, p = 0.4, respectively). No difference was reported for the EBR per MII-oocytes among PPOS and control (15.4%±19.8% versus 14.8%±18.2%, p = 0.9). No difference was reported among the biopsied blastocysts in terms of morphological quality and day of development. A total of 47 and 86 SETs were conducted in the two groups. There was no difference in the live-birth-rates (LBR) per SET in the two groups (N = 19/47, 40.4%, 95%CI 26.7-55.7 versus N = 35/86, 40.7%, 95%CI 30.4-51.8, p = 0.9), nor in the miscarriage rate per clinical pregnancy (N = 1/20, 5%, 95%CI 0.3-26.9 versus N = 3/36, 8.3%, 95%CI 2.2-25.6, p = 0.9). At last, the cumulative-LBR among concluded cycles (i.e., LB achieved or no transferable/all transferred euploid blastocysts) was also similar (N = 19/68, 27.9%, 95%CI 18.1-40.3 versus N = 31/132, 22.0%, 95%CI 15.4-30.2, p = 0.4).

Limitations, reasons for caution

The main limitation is the retrospective and non-randomized design. More data are required, especially for follicle recruitment, oocyte yield, gestational and perinatal outcomes.

Wider implications of the findings

Norethisterone acetate-based PPOS protocol has no impact on oocyte competence when compared to conventional GnRH-antagonist OS. These promising data support further investigation on PPOS, especially in view of its reduced cost, and putative increase in patient compliance and decrease in discomfort.

Trial registration number

none