The natural menstrual cycle revisited – can natural cycle be trusted

Abstract

The serum progesterone (P4) level during the luteal phase (LP) plays a crucial role in the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy. However, it is unclear whether the natural cycle consistently provides the best endocrine profile and whether mid-luteal serum P4 levels are always sufficient to support implantation and early pregnancy. The question has become more relevant in relation to fertility treatment, as more frozen embryo transfer cycles are performed in the natural cycle. Moreover, can serum hormone levels and covariates measured during the follicular phase (FP), such as Follicle Stimulation Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estradiol (E2), Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and Antral Follicle Count (AFC), be used to predict P4 levels during the luteal phase (LP)? This observational prospective cohort study analysed 26 healthy women with a cycle length between 21–35 days and a body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2. Blood sampling started on the fifth day of the menstrual cycle and continued every fifth day until the next cycle. The procedure was repeated for a total of three cycles. The study found that only ten women had a P4 level greater than 30 nmol/L on cycle day 20 or 25 in all three cycles. In total, only 45 cycles out of 77 cycles had serum P4 levels ≥ 30 nmol/L. The E2 level ≥ 345 pmol/L on cycle day 10 proved to be predictive of a P4 level of ≥ 30 nmol/L on either day 20 or day 25 with a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 89%. No other covariates, including the FSH level cycle day 5, LH levels during the follicular phase, age, weight, AFC and AMH cycle day 5 correlated with LP P4 levels. A significant correlation between FP E2 levels cycle day 5 (> 131pmol/L) and cycle day 10 (> 345pmol/L) and a LP P4 level ≥ 30 nmol/l was found; thus, the FP E2 level is a predictor of corpus luteum competence. Our findings highlight the existence of suboptimal P4 levels during the LP and a significant inter-individual and intra-cycle variation in P4 levels during the LP in regular menstruating women.