Trial reportReproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E2009
"hCG priming" effect in controlled ovarian stimulation through a long protocol.
Trial report in Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03423537 (A Prospective, Multicenter, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase III Clinical Study, on the Efficacy and Safety of Low-dose hCG in a Short Protocol With GnRH Agonist and Ovarian Stimulation With Recombinant FSH), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Prospective, Multicenter, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase III Clinical Study, on the Efficacy and Safety of Low-dose hCG in a Short Protocol With GnRH Agonist and Ovarian Stimulation With Recombinant FSH (rFSH) During the Follicular Phase in Subfertile Women Undergoing ART
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- ESHRE guideline: ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI: an update in 2025†.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2026Guideline
- Controlled ovarian stimulation protocols for assisted reproduction: a network meta-analysis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone in intrauterine insemination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2014Pooled it
- FSH replaced by low-dose hCG in the late follicular phase versus continued FSH for assisted reproductive techniques.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Ovovid trial: the effect of a probiotic micronutrients supplement on oocyte retrieval and quality in oocyte donors. A double blind, randomized controlled trial.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2026Trial
- A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose hCG in a Short Protocol with GnRH Agonist and Ovarian Stimulation with Recombinant FSH (rFSH) During the Follicular Phase in Infertile Women Undergoing ART.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2022Trial
- Addition of low dose hCG to rFSh benefits older women during ovarian stimulation for IVF.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2012Trial
- The management of slow ovarian response in PCOS patients and its impact on clinical pregnancy outcomes.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Ectopic pregnancy and failed oocyte retrieval duringWorld journal of clinical cases · 2022Article
- Review
- Article
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: The Pregnancy Hormone and More.International journal of molecular sciences · 2017Review
- The impact of different time intervals between hCG priming and oocyte retrieval on ART outcomes.Iranian journal of reproductive medicine · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecently, it has been demonstrated that, in patients down-regulated by GnRH analogues (GnRHa), a short-term pre-treatment with recombinant LH (rLH), prior to recombinant FSH (rFSH) administration, increases the number of small antral follicle prior to FSH stimulation and the yield of normally fertilized embryos. However, no data exist in the literature regarding the potential beneficial effect of "hCG priming" in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) through a long GnRH-a protocol, which binds the same receptor (LH/hCGR), though it is a much more potent compared to LH. The primary aims of this study were to assess the effect of short-term pre-rFSH administration of hCG in women entering an ICSI treatment cycle on follicular development, quality of oocytes and early embryo development. The secondary endpoints were to record the effects on endometrial quality and pregnancy rate.
methodsPatients with a history of at least one previous unsuccessful ICSI cycle were randomly assigned into two groups to receive treatment with either a long protocol with rFSH (control group) or a long protocol with rFSH and pre-treatment with hCG (hCG group). In particular, in the latter group, a fixed 7 days course of 200 IU/day hCG was administered as soon as pituitary desensitization was confirmed.
resultsThe mean number of oocytes retrieved was not significantly different between the two treatment groups, although the percentage of mature oocytes tended to be higher but not significantly different in hCG-treated patients. The percentage of patients with more than one grade 3 embryos was higher in the pre-treatment group, which also showed a higher pregnancy rate.
conclusionAll the above clinical observations, in conjunction with previous data, suggest a point towards a beneficial "hCG priming" effect in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation through a long GnRH-a down-regulation protocol, particularly in patients with previous ART failures.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.