Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has been used as a surrogate for the mid-cycle LH surge for several decades. Due to structural and biological similarities with LH, hCG binds to and activates the same receptor - the LH/hCG receptor. However, despite the fact that hCG effectively secures final oocyte maturation and ovulation, its use as a surrogate for LH has got several drawbacks - first and ...

Remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the follicular wall by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) has been suggested to be crucial in ovulation. To investigate the expression of the gelatinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, together with their inhibitors, TIMP-2 and TIMP-1, in the perifollicular ovarian stroma from women just before and duri...

OBJECTIVES To compare the live birth rates and moderate/severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rates of 2 different approaches using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist triggering in high responder women. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and embryo transfer (ET) outcomes in high responder women who underwe...

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) still remains a life-threatening complication of in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF), keeping patients and especially those, who previously experienced OHSS, from attempting infertility treatment and childbearing. The recent implementation of four new modalities: the GnRH antagonist protocol, GnRH agonist (GnRHa) triggering of ovulation, blastocyst tr...

The December 2002 issue of Fertility and Sterility contains three papers on the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), including a commentary by Dr. Meldrum (1). Dr. Meldrum summarizes his paper by stating that “we can . . . move on to developing new ways to prevent and treat this dangerous condition.” Undoubtedly, the fertility community is still plagued by this complication of ovarian stim...

longer half-life [ 24 h versus 60 min for LH (Yen et al., A new treatment option for patients undergoing ovarian 1968; Damewood et al., 1989)], HCG administration results stimulation is the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in a prolonged luteotrophic effect, characterized by the develop(GnRH) antagonist protocol, with the possibility to trigger ment of multiple corpora lutea and supraphysiologic...