“Poor responders” (PR) are an important category of infertile women who experience a modest response to controlled ovarian stimulation. In this study, we evaluated response to growth hormone (GH) administration among PR patient subtypes stratified by follicle stimulation hormone receptor (FSHR) polymorphism (c.2039A > G p.Asn680Ser). We conducted a cohort study of 125 women with poor ovarian response, 58 of whom received GH in addition to the standard treatment, and 67 of whom received the standard treatment only. The Ala307Thr polymorphism genotypes were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method, and the FSHR gene polymorphism was analyzed using a predesigned TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay (rs6166). A comparative analysis detected statistically significant differences in mean mature follicles (p = 0.0002), metaphase-II oocytes (p = 0.0005), progesterone levels (p = 0.0036), and IGF levels (follicle IGF1, p = 0.0004) between GH-treated and non-GH-treated participants with the FSHR (Ser/Ser) polymorphism. However, the differences were modest among participants with the other two FSHR polymorphisms (Ser/Asn and Asn/Asn). The subcategory of patients with the FSHR Asn680Ser (Ser/Ser) polymorphism showed a stronger response when GH was added to the IVF protocol.
Keywords: Romania; growth hormone; in vitro fertilization; infertility disorder; polymorphism; women.