DHEA pre-treated patients, poor responders to a first IVF (ICSI) cycle: clinical results

To evaluate the effect of the premedication with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the results of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in a group of women with evidence of diminished ovarian reserve.

This experimental, prospective, pre-post study enrolled 29 patients with evidence of diminished ovarian reserve and poor-responders to a previous treatment. They received 75 mg/die of DHEA for a minimum of eight weeks; from the 18th day of the cycle before the stimulation with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), they took trans-dermal estradiol (E2) (50 mcg every other day). The protocol of the stimulation consisted of a short cycle with follicle stimulating hormone receptor-human menopausal gonadrotropin (FSHr-HMG) and low doses ofgonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) (0.05 mg/die). The study was carried out comparing the results obtained respectively with the pre-DHEA and the post-DHEA treatments.

The comparative analysis of the results showed a significant increase in the number of the retrieved oocytes (p < 0.01), of the oocyte quality (p = 0.02) and a reduction of cancelled cycles (p = 0.03). Moreover, after the treatment with DHEA, there was an increase, though non-significant, in the number of embryos, in the fertilization rate, and in the number of pregnancies.

This study confirms the beneficial effects of DHEA in patients who resulted poor responders to IVF treatments. Therefore, DHEA appears to be an effective treatment for age related sub-fertility.