Effectiveness of the antagonist/letrozole protocol for treating poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

References

• Lainas TG, Sfontouris IA, Papanikolaou EG, et al. Flexible GnRH antagonist versus flare-up GnRH agonist protocol in poor responders treated by IVF: a randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod 2008;23:1355–8
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kyrou D, Kolibianakis EM, Venetis CA, et al. How to improve the probability of pregnancy in poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril 2009;91:749–66
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kolibianakis EM, Venetis CA, Diedrich K, et al. Addition of growth hormone to gonadotrophins in ovarian stimulation of poor responders treated by in-vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update 2009;15:613–22
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sunkara SK, Pundir J, Khalaf Y. Effect of androgen supplementation or modulation on ovarian stimulation outcome in poor responders: a meta-analysis. Reprod Biomed Online 2011;22:545–55
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Madani T, Ashrafi M, Yeganeh LM. Comparison of different stimulation protocols efficacy in poor responders undergoing IVF: a retrospective study. Gynecol Endocrinol 2012;28:102–5
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Surrey ES. Management of the poor responder: the role of GnRH agonists and antagonists. J Assist Reprod Genet 2007;24:613–19
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Surrey ES, Bower J, Hill DM, et al. Clinical and endocrine effects of a microdose GnRH agonist flare regimen administered to poor responders who are undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1998;69:419–24
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Akman MA, Erden HF, Tosun SB, et al. Comparison of agonistic flare-up-protocol and antagonistic multiple dose protocol in ovarian stimulation of poor responders: results of a prospective randomized trial. Hum Reprod 2001;16:868–70
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Detti L, Williams DB, Robins JC, et al. A comparison of three downregulation approaches for poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 2005;84:1401–5
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Craft I, Gorgy A, Hill J, et al. Will GnRH antagonists provide new hope for patients considered ‘difficult responders' to GnRH agonist protocols? Hum Reprod 1999;14:2959–62
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Malmusi S, La Marca A, Giulini S, et al. Comparison of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and GnRH agonist flare-up regimen in poor responders undergoing ovarian stimulation. Fertil Steril 2005;84:402–6
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Berin I, Stein DE, Keltz MD. A comparison of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and GnRH agonist flare protocols for poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 2010;93:360–3
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Winer EP, Hudis C, Burstein HJ, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology technology assessment on the use of aromatase inhibitors as adjuvant therapy for women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: status report 2002. J Clin Oncol 2002;20:3317–27
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mitwally MF, Casper RF. Aromatase inhibition improves ovarian response to follicle-stimulating hormone in poor responders. Fertil Steril 2002;77:776–80
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Garcia-Velasco JA, Moreno L, Pacheco A, et al. The aromatase inhibitor letrozole increases the concentration of intraovarian androgens and improves in vitro fertilization outcome in low responder patients: a pilot study. Fertil Steril 2005;84:82–7
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Higgins JP, Thompson SG. Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med 2002;21:1539–58
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lau J, Ioannidis JP, Schmid CH. Quantitative synthesis in systematic reviews. Ann Intern Med 1997;127:820–6
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Yarali H, Esinler I, Polat M, et al. Antagonist/letrozole protocol in poor ovarian responders for intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a comparative study with the microdose flare-up protocol. Fertil Steril 2009;92:231–5
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schoolcraft WB, Surrey ES, Minjarez DA, et al. Management of poor responders: can outcomes be improved with a novel gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist/letrozole protocol? Fertil Steril 2008;89:151–6
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Davar R, Oskouian H, Ahmadi S, Firouzabadi RD. GnRH antagonist/letrozole versus microdose GnRH agonist flare protocol in poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilization. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2010;49:297–301
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mohsen IA, El Din RE. Minimal stimulation protocol using letrozole versus microdose flare up GnRH agonist protocol in women with poor ovarian response undergoing ICSI. Gynecol Endocrinol 2013;29:105–8
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Pu D, Wu J, Liu J. Comparisons of GnRH antagonist versus GnRH agonist protocol in poor ovarian responders undergoing IVF. Hum Reprod 2011;26:2742–9
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ozmen B, Sonmezer M, Atabekoglu CS, Olmus H. Use of aromatase inhibitors in poor-responder patients receiving GnRH antagonist protocols. Reprod Biomed Online 2009;19:478–85
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lee VC, Chan CC, Ng EH, et al. Sequential use of letrozole and gonadotrophin in women with poor ovarian reserve: a randomized controlled trial. Reprod Biomed Online 2011;23:380–8
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Weil S, Vendola K, Zhou J, Bondy CA. Androgen and follicle-stimulating hormone interactions in primate ovarian follicle development. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84:2951–6
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Palter SF, Tavares AB, Hourvitz A, et al. Are estrogens of import to primate/human ovarian folliculogenesis? Endocr Rev 2001;22:389–424
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Vendola KA, Zhou J, Adesanya OO, et al. Androgens stimulate early stages of follicular growth in the primate ovary. J Clin Invest 1998;101:2622–9
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Verpoest W, Kolibianakis E, Papanikolaou E, et al. Aromatase inhibitors in ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI: a pilot study. Reprod Biomed Online 2006;13:166–72
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Weil SJ, Vendola K, Zhou J, et al. Androgen receptor gene expression in the primate ovary: cellular localization, regulation, and functional correlations. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998;83:2479–85
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Andersen CY, Lossl K. Increased intrafollicular androgen levels affect human granulosa cell secretion of anti-Mullerian hormone and inhibin-B. Fertil Steril 2008;89:1760–5
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chang CL, Wang TH, Horng SG, et al. The concentration of inhibin B in follicular fluid: relation to oocyte maturation and embryo development. Hum Reprod 2002;17:1724–8
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cupisti S, Dittrich R, Mueller A, et al. Correlations between anti-mullerian hormone, inhibin B, and activin A in follicular fluid in IVF/ICSI patients for assessing the maturation and developmental potential of oocytes. Eur J Med Res 2007;12:604–8
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Jonard S, Dewailly D. The follicular excess in polycystic ovaries, due to intra-ovarian hyperandrogenism, may be the main culprit for the follicular arrest. Hum Reprod Update 2004;10:107–17
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ferraretti AP, La Marca A, Fauser BC, et al. ESHRE consensus on the definition of ‘poor response' to ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization: the Bologna criteria. Hum Reprod 2011;26:1616–24
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar