Dual trigger of final oocyte maturation with a combination of GnRH agonist and hCG versus a hCG alone trigger in GnRH antagonist cycle for in vitro fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective

Increasing evidence indicates that a dual trigger (a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist [GnRH-a] with a human chorionic gonadotrophin [hCG] trigger) is the best choice for final oocyte maturation in the GnRH antagonist (GnRH-ant) cycle. However, this conclusion remains controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy of a GnRH-a combined with a standard hCG trigger in comparison with hCG alone for final oocyte maturation in the GnRH-ant cycle for in vitro fertilization.

Study design

Complete electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT). The search was not restricted by language or publication time. Two reviewers selected trials and assessed trial quality independently by using the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0.

Results

Four eligible RCT studies involving 527 women were included. The results of this meta-analysis indicated that the dual trigger group had a significantly higher pregnancy rate (relative risk [RR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–2.06) than the hCG-only trigger group. No significant differences were found in the number of oocytes retrieved (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.47; 95% CI, −0.42 to 1.37), number of mature oocytes retrieved (WMD, 0.41; 95% CI, −0.48 to 1.30), number of fertilized oocytes (WMD, 0.47; 95% CI, −0.32 to 1.26), number of good-quality embryos (WMD, 0.17; 95% CI, −0.29 to 0.64), or implantation rate (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.69–2.00) between the two groups.

Conclusion

GnRH-a and hCG as dual trigger was equivalent to hCG in triggering oocyte maturation and may be beneficial in improving reproductive outcomes. Further intensive randomized-controlled studies should be conducted to investigate the efficacy of the dual trigger.