Patients’ selection

For this, study were enrolled a total of 15 patients (mean age of 33 ± 9) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) because of male infertility. Patients selected were tested negative for either chlamydia antibody testing (CAT) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or any other known metabolic or endocrinological disease; patients had regular menstrual cycles and did not have previous ovarian surgery or presence of ovarian cysts, had normal body weight and were not smoker.

Patients underwent IVF cycles according to the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol here briefly described. Patients received a minimum of 150 IU/d subcutaneously from day 2 or 3 of a spontaneous menstrual cycle of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH, Gonal F®, Merck Serono, Italy or Puregon®, MSD Organon, Italy). Follicular growth was evaluated, and when the first follicle reached 14 mm of diameter in size, patients were then treated with subcutaneous injection of 0.25 mg/day daily with the GnRH antagonist ganirelix (Orgalutran, Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ, USA) or cetrorelix (Cetrotide, Merck Serono, Italy). When follicles reached size of 18 mm or more, 10,000 IU of human corionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were administrated intramuscularly. Follicles were aspirated 35 ± 1 h later and processed for oocyte retrieval. Study approval was obtained from the local ethics committee and informed, written consent was obtained from each patient.