Peking University Researchers Report That Hormone Pre-Treatment May Improve Live Birth Rates in Women with Adenomyosis

New research offers hope for better pregnancy outcomes in patients with adenomyosis undergoing assisted reproductive treatments

BEIJING, BEIJING, CHINA, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Adenomyosis, a condition that affects more than one in five women worldwide, results in the inner lining of the uterus growing into the surrounding muscular wall. Beyond the pain and discomfort, adenomyosis also creates serious challenges for women trying to conceive. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET), are known to have lower chances of leading to a successful pregnancy and live birth in women with adenomyosis. Thus, improving these outcomes has become an important goal in reproductive medicine.

One promising approach is the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) before ET to temporarily suppress estrogen production. The idea is that lowering certain hormone levels may improve the uterine environment and increase the likelihood of implantation and pregnancy. Unfortunately, the evidence for this approach has been inconsistent; some studies suggest it helps, others found it made no difference, and guidelines from different medical bodies contradict each other. Part of the confusion stems from studies not distinguishing between fresh embryo transfers (ETs) and frozen embryo transfers (FETs), two procedures that differ in important biological characteristics.

To shed light on this issue, a research team led by Professors Tao Wu and Qing Xue from Peking University, China, conducted a study that analyzed GnRHa pre-treatment for the two types of ETs separately, combining their own patient data with a systematic review of existing literature. Their paper was made available online on December 17, 2024, and published in Volume 132, Issue S2 of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology on April 15, 2025.

First, they conducted a retrospective cohort study, analyzing outcomes from 413 treatment cycles across 369 women with adenomyosis treated at Peking University First Hospital between 2015 and 2023. They compared live birth rates, clinical pregnancy rates, and miscarriage rates between women who had received GnRHa pre-treatment and those who had not, and used statistical modeling to account for confounding factors like age, body mass index, uterine size, and embryo quality. Second, they carried out a meta-analysis, pooling their findings with those from six other studies on this topic.

The results were remarkably consistent and clear across both parts of the study. “After adjusting for confounders in our cohort study, the odds of achieving a live birth after ET or FET were 2.65 times and 2.43 times higher, respectively, for women with GnRHa pre-treatment than for those without,” remarks Prof. Wu. The meta-analysis confirmed this pattern, with women receiving GnRHa pre-treatment showing significantly higher live birth rates after both ET and FET cycles. Notably, miscarriage rates did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Overall, the findings support GnRHa pre-treatment as a worthwhile option for women with adenomyosis undergoing either type of ET and the authors suggest it should be actively considered in clinical practice. However, the researchers acknowledged that all studies included in the meta-analysis were conducted in China, which could affect how broadly the conclusions apply. “More worldwide studies on this topic and randomized controlled trials are warranted to strengthen this newfound evidence,” concludes Prof. Xue.

Overall, this study sets the foundation for further research from diverse international populations, paving the way for universally applicable clinical guidelines for the treatment of adenomyosis in women undergoing assisted reproduction.

Reference
Title of original paper: Effect of Gonadotropin­Releasing Hormone Agonist Pre­Treatment on Outcomes of Fresh and Frozen Embryo Transfers in Women With Adenomyosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study With Literature Review
Journal: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.18026

About Peking University, China
Peking University (PKU) is a public university in Beijing, China. Founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, it was China’s first national comprehensive university. Following its merger with Beijing Medical University in 2000, PKU expanded into science, engineering, medicine, humanities, and social sciences. Today, it comprises six faculties, 55 schools and departments, and ten affiliated hospitals, enrolling over 48,600 students supported by more than 12,600 faculty and staff. PKU partners with nearly 400 universities and institutions across more than 60 countries, cultivating world-class talents and contributing to a human community with a shared future.

Website: https://english.pku.edu.cn/

About Professor Tao Wu from Peking University, China
Dr. Tao Wu is a Professor and Deputy Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, Peking University, China. She received her bachelor’s degree in Preventive Medicine from Beijing Medical University, her Master’s in Epidemiology from Peking University, and her Ph.D. in Genetic Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on genetic epidemiology and chronic diseases as well as public health education. She has led numerous national and municipal research grants and has authored several publications in international peer-reviewed journals, including Genetic Epidemiology, Diabetes Care, and BMC Med Educ.


About Professor Qing Xue from Peking University First Hospital, China
Dr. Qing Xue is a Professor and Director of the Reproductive Center at the First Hospital of Peking University, China. She completed her postdoctoral training at Northwestern University, USA, and holds both MD and PhD degrees. Dr. Xue serves as a member of the American Society for Reproductive Investigation, Standing Committee Member and Secretary-General of the Fertility Protection Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, Committe Member of the Reproductive Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Standing Committee Member of the Reproductive Medicine Branch and Obstetrics and Gynecology Microecology Medicine Branch of the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, and Vice Chairman of the Reproductive Medicine Committee of the Beijing Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Education Research Association. Her research focuses on gene regulation in endometriosis and infertility, as well as the fetal-maternal interface in endometriosis. She has published over 100 SCI papers, including in Nature Communications and Biomaterials. She has led 12 national and provincial research grants, comprising two sub-projects under the National Key R&D Program of China (13th and 14th Five-Year Plans) and six General Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Her honors include four provincial/ministerial awards, among them the Second Prize for National Maternal and Child Health Science and Technology.

Funding information
The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFC2704000) and the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (Interdisciplinary Clinical Research Project of Peking University First Hospital, No. 2022CR47).

Jing Ma
Wiley
+86 1085419367
jima@wiley.com
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