The effect of luteal GnRH antagonist on moderate and severe early ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during in vitro fertilization treatment: a prospective cohort study

Purpose Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a serious complication of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. However, there are limited data regarding the ability of the luteal GnRH antagonist cetrorelix to reduce the incidence of moderate and severe OHSS, and the mechanism remains unclear. Thus, we designed a study to assess the effectiveness of cetrorelix to prevent early moderate and severe OHSS in high-risk patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI. Methods In this prospective cohort study, 105 patients with high-risk OHSS undergoing cryopreservation of all embryos were divided into two groups according to their personal choice. The cetrorelix group ( n = 65) received 0.25 mg of cetrorelix by subcutaneous injection daily, from days 3 to 5 post-oocyte retrieval (POR); the control group ( n = 40) received no drug. The primary outcome measures were the incidence and severity of early moderate and severe OHSS. Secondary measures included serum estradiol levels, ovarian volume, ascites volume, hematocrit values, and WBC count on days 3, 6, and 9 POR. VEGF and EGR-1 levels were assessed, and binary logistic regression analysis was applied to predict associations between clinical variables and OHSS. Results Ninety-six patients were examined. The incidence of moderate and severe OHSS was significantly lower in the cetrorelix group than in the control group (18.03% and 37.14%, respectively; P = 0.037). Serum estradiol ( P = 0.013), white blood cell count ( P = 0.031), ascites volume ( P = 0.036), EGR-1 ( P = 0.025), and VEGF levels ( P = 0.015) were significantly higher in the control group on day 6 POR than on day 3 POR, while no increase was observed between day 3 POR and day 6 POR in the cetrorelix group, indicating a faster regression of OHSS symptoms. Cetrorelix intervention was associated with the incidence and severity of OHSS (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11–0.78, P = 0.014). Conclusion Cetrorelix effectively reduces the incidence of early moderate and severe OHSS in high-risk women and decreases serum VEGF levels.