PREIMPLANTATION POLAR BODY DIAGNOSIS

Preimplantation polar body diagnosis makes it possible to detect and a void genetic and chromosomal disorders before pregnancy. We have shown that the polar body biopsy does not affect fertilization and viabilit y of the resulting embryos. Our present experience of polar body diagn osis includes 187 clinical cycles, performed for preimplantation diagn osis of cystic fibrosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Tay-Sach's di sease, retinitis pigmentosa, hemophilia A, Alport and sickle cell dise ase, and common aneuploidy, using the FISH technique. Over three-quart ers of these cycles have resulted in embryo transfer, 38 in clinical p regnancy and 12 in the birth of an unaffected child. The present revie w describes the results of our clinical trial on the polar body diagno sis of genetic and chromosomal disorders, demonstrating the reliabilit y of polar body genetic analysis for preimplantation diagnosis. (C) 19 96 Academic Press, Inc.