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Ovulation Induction in Clomiphene Citrate Resistant PCO Women

Letrozole-metformin Versus Letrozole-metformin-pioglitazone in PCO Clomiphene Citrate Resistant Women

Status
Completed
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02341703
Enrollment
100
Registered
2015-01-19
Start date
2015-02-28
Completion date
2015-07-31
Last updated
2015-07-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Infertility, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Brief summary

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of women in childbearing age. Hyperinsulinemia contributes to chronic anovulation commonly encountered in women with PCOS. The first choice therapy is clomiphene citrate (CC). In CC resistant cases, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends the use of insulin sensitizer metformin. Other insulin sensitizing agents include rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. Pioglitazone is said to improve fertility and ovulation in patients with PCOS.CC may be associated with poor endometrial thickening due to its antiestrogenic effect. Letrozole may improve this condition. In this study we will compare the effect of combined letrozole-metformin with that of combined letrozole-pioglitazone in ovulation induction in CC-resistant PCOS women

Detailed description

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of women in childbearing age. Hyperinsulinemia contributes to chronic anovulation commonly encountered in women with PCOS. The first choice therapy is clomiphene citrate (CC). In CC resistant cases, the ACOG recommends the use of insulin sensitizer metformin. Other insulin sensitizing agents include rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. Pioglitazone is said to improve fertility and ovulation in patients with PCOS. CC has a long half-life (2 weeks), and this may have a negative effect on the cervical mucus and endometrium, leading to discrepancy between ovulation and conception rates. There has been a search for a compound capable of inducing ovulation but devoid of the adverse antiestrogenic effects of CC. recent studies have suggested that letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, does not possess the adverse antiestrogenic effects of CC and is associated with higher pregnancy rates than CC treatment in patients with PCOS. In this study the investigators shall compare the effect of combined letrozole-metformin with that of combined letrozole-metformin-pioglitazone in ovulation induction in CC-resistant PCOS women.This will be a prospective comparative clinical trial in which 2 groups of women will be generated (groups A and B) using the sealed envelopes randomization method.Group A (50 women) will receive: letrozole 2.5 mg/day from 3rd day of the cycle for 5 days and (pioglitazone 15 mg + metformin 850 mg) once daily from 1st day of the cycle for 10 days. Group B (50 women) will receive letrozole 2.5 mg/day from 3rd day of the cycle for 5 days and metformin 500 mg three times daily from continuously untill pregncy occurrs. Ovulation will be monitored by vaginal ultrasound and serum estrogen and progesterone.

Interventions

DRUGletrozole-metformin

letrozole 2.5 mg will be given daily from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days + metformin 500 mg three times daily continuously for 3 months unless pregnancy occurred

DRUGletrozole-metformin-pioglitazone

letrozole will be given daily from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days + (metformin 850 mg + pioglitazone 15 mg) from the first day of the cycle for 10 days.

RADIATIONtransvaginal ultrasound

transvaginal ultrasound will be done from day 10 of the cycle and every other day for monitoring of follicular enlargement.

day 3: FSH, LH, TSH, and total testosterone day 12 serum E2 day 21 serum progesterone

Sponsors

Cairo University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
20 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 20-40 years old * PCOS infertile women resistant to CC for 3 cycles

Exclusion criteria

* Presence of medical disorders as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems, liver or kidney diseases, hyperprolactinemia or thyroid dysfunction * Use of gonadotropins before * Previous ovarian drilling * Presence of urinary symptoms especially bloody urine

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
ovulation rate6 months

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
pregnancy rate6 months

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026