New assessment reveals value of second embryo biopsy for women of advanced maternal age

November 7, 2012 in Obstetrics & gynaecology

An elegant new study confirms that the most commonly used method of screening for embryo abnormalities following in vitro fertilization (IVF) does accurately predict the success of embryo transplantation for younger women, but not necessarily for those of advanced maternal age.

Currently, some IVF laboratories screen for chromosomal abnormalities by taking a biopsy of the trophectoderm (TE) cells, the cells that become the and umbilical cord, and assessing them with a DNA microarray. However, are susceptible to mosaicism, in which one group of cells develops differently from a neighboring group due to a spontaneous . This causes chromosomes to differ not only among TE cells but also between these nascent placental cells and inner cell mass (ICM) cells, which develop into the embryo itself.

To evaluate the chromosomal status in human blastocysts, researchers led by Dr. Wei-Hua Wang collected 244 blastocysts from women undergoing IVF, biopsied the TE cells, and assessed all 23 pairs of chromosomes.

The results revealed by microarray indicated that 56.6% of the 244 blastocysts had an abnormal number of chromosomes. Of those, 62.3% had single and 37.7% had multiple or complex . Consistent with earlier studies, blastocysts from patients aged 38 or older were found to be much more likely to have abnormal chromosome numbers (56.4.0%) than those from patients aged 37 or younger (43.9.2%). Further, a mere 18% of embryos from women aged 41 and older had the correct number of chromosomes and were deemed suitable for transplant.

When the blastocysts that passed the initial inspection were transplanted, they resulted in high (average 70.2%) independent of the age of the mother.

After this initial assessment, the team rebiopsied 13 of the abnormal blastocysts to compare the TE and ICM cells from the same embryos using two different array platforms. Nine of the 13 blastocysts were found to be mosaic (69.23%) and, of those, four had normal ICM cells that could potentially have produced healthy offspring. The authors therefore conclude that the commonly employed method of biopsy of TE cells alone does not predict chromosomal problems in ICM cells when there is an abnormal number of chromosomes and that older women should consider having their abnormal embryos rebiopsied if they need additional embryos for transplant.

There is clearly much left to discover in this field, and more information will be revealed as IVF clinics continue to use blastocyst microarray for embryo screening.

More information: Liu J, Wang W, Sun X, Liu L, Jin H, Li M, Witz C, Williams D, Griffith J, Skorupski J, Haddad G, Gill J. DNA microarray reveals that high proportions of human blastocysts from women of advanced maternal age are aneuploid and mosaic. Biol Reprod 2012; (in press). Published online ahead of print 7 November 2012; DOI 10.1095/biolreprod.112.103192

Provided by Society for the Study of Reproduction

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • The idea behind a reverse shock
    created4 hours ago
  • Guass's Law for a charge distribution
    created4 hours ago
  • Noise dependence
    created5 hours ago
  • siphon and bernouli theorum
    created7 hours ago
  • Hot gas expansion rate into outer space
    created7 hours ago
  • Magnetic field lines through copper
    created12 hours ago
  • More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics

More news stories

Bulletin provides guidelines for second-trimester abortion

(HealthDay)—New evidence-based guidelines provide guidance on medical and surgical methods for second-trimester abortion and management of associated complications, according to a practice bulletin published ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

ACOG: Hormone therapy not recommended to prevent CHD

(HealthDay)—Menopausal hormone therapy should not be used for prevention of coronary heart disease, according to a Committee Opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may adversely affect children's mental development

A study of around 1,000 UK mothers and their children, published in The Lancet, has revealed that iodine deficiency in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children's mental development. The research raises concerns that t ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

72 percent of pregnant women experience constipation and other bowel problems

Nearly three out of four pregnant women experience constipation, diarrhea or other bowel disorders during their pregnancies, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Women's reproductive ability may be related to immune system status

New research indicates that women's reproductive function may be tied to their immune status. Previous studies have found this association in human males, but not females.

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast


First drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade

Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented today at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality ...

Seniors more likely to crash when driving with pet, study finds

(HealthDay)—Animals make great companions for senior citizens, but elderly people who always drive with a pet in the car are far more likely to crash than those who never drive with a pet, researchers have ...

Heart failure accelerates male 'menopause'

Heart failure accelerates the aging process and brings on early andropausal syndrome (AS), according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. AS, also referred to as male 'menopause', was four times ...

Death highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight

Mortality and length of stay are highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight, according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. The analysis of nearly 1 million ...

Feds fight morning-after pill age ruling in NY

(AP)—Department of Justice lawyers have again asked a federal appeals court in New York to delay lifting age restrictions and prescription requirements on an emergency contraceptive popularly known as the morning-after ...

New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.