Table 2 Ovarian stimulation and embryo laboratory outcomes of the two groups after propensity score matching.

From: The cumulative live birth rate and cost-effectiveness of the clomiphene and gonadotropin cotreatment protocol versus the mid-luteal GnRH agonist protocol in women over 35 years old

Characteristic

CC cotreatment group

GnRHa group

p value

Risk ratio (95% CI)

Patients, n

375

375

–

–

Failure of pituitary downregulation, %(n)

–

1.33 (3/375)

–

–

OS failure due to ovarian nonresponse or poor response, %(n)

2.13 (8/375)

1.60 (6/375)

0.589

1.34 (0.46–3.90)

Premature LH surge, %(n)

6.13 (23/375)

0.53 (2/375)

 < 0.001

12.19 (2.85–52.07)

Premature ovulation, %(n)

2.40 (9/375)

0.80 (3/375)

0.081

3.05 (0.82–11.35)

No oocyte retrieved cycles during OPU, %(n)

2.40 (9/375)

2.13 (8/375)

0.806

1.13 (0.43–2.96)

No. of cycles without available embryo after in vitro culture, %(n)

6.52 (23/375)

2.40 (9/375)

0.011

2.66 (1.21–5.82)

Total no. of cycle cancellations, %(n)

13.07 (49/375)

8.00 (30/375)

0.032

0.58 (0.36–0.93)

Did not undergo embryo transfer, %(n)

1.53 (5/326)

2.61 (9/345)

0.330

0.58 (0.19–1.75)

LH on trigger day (mIU/mL)

7.83 (4.92, 10.49)

2.81 (2.29, 3.48)

 < 0.001

–

E2 on trigger day (pg/ml)

1447 (884.2, 2268)

1609 (936, 2516)

0.18

–

Progesterone on trigger day (ng/ml)

0.97 (0.64, 1.38)

0.95 (0.70, 1.24)

0.728

–

Gn dosage (IU)

2495 (2025, 3075)

2400 (2000, 3088)

0.356

–

Gn duration, d

10 (9, 12)

10 (9, 12)

0.071

–

Moderate or severe OHSS, %(n)

1.86 (7/375)

2.40 (9/375)

0.801

1.29 (0.48–3.51)

Average no. of oocytes retrieved

6 (4, 10)

11 (7, 11)

 < 0.001

–

Average no. of ≥ 14 mm follicles

6 (4, 9)

9 (7, 12.5)

 < 0.001

–

Mature oocyte rate, %

88.9 (75.00, 100)

85.7 (72.73, 100)

0.001

–

2PN fertilization rate, %

75.00 (60.00, 100)

75.00 (57.33, 87.40)

0.255

–

Cleavage rate, %

100 (100, 100)

100 (100, 100)

0.147

–

High-quality D3 embryo rate, %

37.50 (0, 60.00)

33.33 (1.11, 50.00)

0.092

–

Total no. of available embryos on Day 3

4 (2,6)

5 (3,7)

0.045

–

Available embryo rate, %

80.00 (60.00, 90.00)

80 (60.00, 90.00)

0.211

–

  1. Data are presented as the median (25th and 75th percentile) or number (%). Mann‒Whitney U tests were used for continuous variables, and chi-square tests were used for categorical variables.
  2. CC cotreatment clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin cotreatment, GnRHa gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, CI confidence interval, OS ovarian stimulation, OPU oocyte pick-up, LH luteinizing hormone, E2 estradiol, P progesterone, Gn gonadotropin, OHSS ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, 2PN two pronuclei.
  3. A premature LH surge was defined as a serum LH level ≥ 10 mIU/mL or an increase of more than 2.5 times above the basal level during ovarian stimulation.
  4. The total number of cycle cancellations was calculated as follows: pituitary downregulation (in the GnRHa group) + OS failure cycles + cycles with no oocytes retrieved + cycles without available embryos after in vitro culture + cycles cancelled for personal or other reasons.
  5. The percentage of mature oocytes was calculated as the total number of mature oocytes divided by the total number of retrieved oocytes × 100%
  6. 2PN fertilization rate = the number of 2PN oocytes on Day 1/(total number of IVF fertilized oocytes + total number of MII oocytes injected) × 100%
  7. D3 high-quality embryo rate = the high-quality embryo number on Day 3/normal fertilization cleavage embryo number × 100%
  8. The available embryo rate = the number of embryos available for frozen embryo transfer or blastocyst culture/the number of normally fertilized oocytes.
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