Adjuvant letrozole administration in gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist cycles do not affect ploidy status of embryos

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of adjuvant letrozole administration on euploid embryo rates in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist cycles. MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted by analyzing data of patients that underwent GnRH antagonist cycles with intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy between 2013 and 2021. Study included a total of 713 patients which 84 of them were received adjuvant letrozole and 629 patients underwent ovulation induction without any adjuvant therapy. ResultsIn patients with letrozole administration, total dose of consumed gonadotropins were significantly lower (2166.80 ± 738.82 IU vs. 2541.96 ± 755.76 IU; p < 0.001, respectively), and duration of stimulation was slightly longer (9.80 ± 1.23 days vs. 9.53 ± 1.38 days; p = 0.037) in comparison to patients without letrozole administration. Overall euploidy rates were found similar among letrozole group and control group (28.02 % ± 31.08 % vs. 23.02 % ± 30.87 %; p = 0.109). Similar rate of euploidy remained even after stratification of patients in accordance with female age. There was no significant difference in terms of live birth rates between letrozole administered group and control group (66.7 % vs 62.2 %, respectively). ConclusionCo-treatment with 5 mg/day letrozole for 5 days does not appear to affect euploidy rates of obtained embryos in GnRH antagonist cycles with ICSI.