Elevated estradiol levels in frozen embryo transfer have different effects on pregnancy outcomes depending on the stage of transferred embryos

Abstract

Supplementation with estradiol (E₂) is routinely used in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles and embryo age plays an important role in conceiving. This study was to compare the effects of serum E₂ levels on pregnancy outcomes between cleavage- and blastocyst-stage FET cycles using hormone replacement therapy. A total of 776 FET cycles (669 couples) performed from January 2016 to December 2019 were included in the present retrospective cohort study. Regarding cleavage-stage embryo transfers, E₂ levels on progesterone initiation day were significantly lower in the ongoing pregnancy/live birth (OP/LB) group than in the non-OP/LB group (214.75 ± 173.47 vs. 253.20 ± 203.30 pg/ml; P = 0.023). In addition, there were downward trends in implantation, clinical pregnancy and OP/LB rates with increasing E₂ levels. However, in blastocyst-stage embryo transfers, such trends were not observed, and E₂ levels were not significant difference between the OP/LB group and the non-OP/LB group (201.66 ± 182.14 vs. 197.89 ± 212.83 pg/ml; P = 0.884). The results suggests that elevated progesterone-initiation-day E₂ levels may negatively affect pregnancy outcomes during artificial cleavage-stage embryo transfers. However, it is not necessary to monitor E₂ levels when transferring blastocysts in artificial FET cycles.