Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38260168›Full record

Trial reportFrontiers in endocrinology2023

Intramuscular injection of human chorionic gonadotropin as luteal phase support in artificial cycle frozen-thawed embryo transfer does not improve clinical outcomes: a parallel, open-label randomized trial.

Xiaofang Li, Yu Huang, Zan Shi, Juanzi Shi, Na Li

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Reproductive outcome after frozen embryo transfer with hormone replacement therapy according to luteal-phase support protocol: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2025
    Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Xiaofang LiAssisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yu HuangAssisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Zan ShiAssisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Juanzi ShiAssisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Na LiAssisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as one of the first signals secreted by the embryo to the mother may have a direct effect on the endometrium at implantation. The current study was aim to compare the clinical outcomes after frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) treated with artificial cycles (AC) between women who were administered intramuscular injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as luteal phase support and the routine group. Methods: A randomized controlled trial of 245 women was conducted at the Assisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China from January 2019 to January 2020. Women <40 years of age undergoing their first FET treated with AC were included. Patients were randomly allocated into either: (1) the hCG treatment group, who received intramuscular injection of hCG since the third day of progesterone administration, at a dose of 2000 IU once every two days, for a total of four times, (2) the control group, receiving routine protocol without placebo on these four days. Clinical outcomes of the two groups were analyzed. Results: The primary outcome ongoing pregnancy rate in the hCG treatment group versus the control group was 73/124 (58.87%) versus 75/121 (61.98%), respectively (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.88, 0.53-1.47, Conclusion: In women undergoing AC-FET, there was no significant difference in the clinical outcomes between the hCG treatment group and the control group. Clinicians should be cautious about adding IM-hCG as luteal phase support to improve the clinical outcome after AC-FET. Clinical trial registration: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=32511, identifier ChiCTR1800020342.

Indexed as

Luteal PhasePremature BirthChildChorionic GonadotropinEmbryo TransferFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornInjections, IntramuscularPregnancyChorionic Gonadotropinartificial cyclefrozen embryo transferintramuscular injection of hCGongoing pregnancy raterandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID38260168
PMCPMC10801214
OpenAlexW4390664733

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.