Effects of growth hormone on in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective To investigate the effect of growth hormone (GH) on in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods A total of 110 PCOS patients were selected and divided into GH group and control group by random number table method, with 55 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with IVF-ET, and the GH group innovatively received intramuscular injection of recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) during ovulation induction. The serum GH and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels before treatment and on the injection day of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), levels of GH and IGF-1 in follicular fluid on the day of egg retrieval, development of oocytes, and IVF-ET outcomes of the two groups were compared.

Results On HCG day, the serum GH, IGF-1 in the GH group were significantly increased than before treatment (P < 0.05), while the control group had no significant change compared with the treatment before (P>0.05). The serum GH, and serum IGF-1 on HCG day in the GH group were (9.76±2.32) μg/L and (146.54±23.79) μg/L, which were higher than (2.04±0.53) μg/L and (109.88±21.05) μg/L in the control group(P < 0.05); the follicular fluid GH and IGF-1 on the day of oocyte retrieval in the GH group were (3.18±0.52) μg/L and (101.42±17.36) μg/L, which were higher than (2.66±0.48) μg/L and (89.17±13.58) μg/L in control group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference in the number of ovum in GV stage and MⅠstage between the two groups (P>0.05). The number ovum in M Ⅱ stage in the GH group was (15.16±3.23), which was higher than (10.78±2.59) in control group (P < 0.05). The fertilization rate, cleavage rate and high quality embryo rate of the GH group were 86.93%, 93.66% and 49.66%, which were higher than 80.61%, 88.91% and 41.84% in control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The exogenous supplementation of GH in the process of ovulation induction in PCOS patients can increase the content of GH and IGF-1 in serum and follicular fluid, synergistically promote oocyte development and oocyte development, and increase ICSI fertilization rate and high-quality embryo rate.