Luteal phase serum estradiol and progesterone in in vitro fertilization

One hundred seventy-five cycles in patients with irreparable tubal disease were stimulated by human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. The pregnancy rate was found to be related to the height and pattern of serum estradiol (E₂) response in the follicular phase. The mean serum E₂ and progesterone (P) during the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference between the pregnant and nonpregnant patients in the series except after luteal day 11. The mean serum E₂ in most of the luteal phase days was highest in the high responders followed by the normal and the low responders. However, the mean P values were similar for the high and normal responders but higher than the low responders on cycle days 18, 20, and 22. The mean serum E₂ and P in the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference among the three most common patterns. This was also true for the pregnant and nonpregnant values in each category of height and pattern of response. We concluded that the success and failure of in vitro fertilization was probably less related to the peripheral E₂ and P in the luteal phase than to the number and quality of eggs.