Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of aneuploidy was performed on
49 patients diagnosed with severe male factor infertility and a poor
prognosis of pregnancy due to: 1) advanced maternal age; 2) repeated I
VF failures, and 3) altered karyotype in peripheral blood. The results
attained were compared to those derived from 28 normospermic patients
presenting the same poor prognostic indications. In all, 445 embryos
were selected for fluorescent in-situ, hybridization (FISH) analysis o
n the basis of their morphological evaluation. In 23 embryos (5%) no r
esult was obtained, whereas 168 embryos (40%) were diagnosed as normal
and 206 (49%) as FISH abnormal. Following PGD, 60 patients had at lea
st: one chromosomally normal embryo transferred resulting in 15 clinic
al pregnancies. The analysis of the embryos derived from intracytoplas
mic sperm microinjection (ICSI) in comparison to those obtained after
conventional insemination, revealed that the percentages of FISH abnor
mal embryos were similar between the two groups (48% versus 50%). Simi
larly, the distribution of chromosomal abnormalities did not vary sign
ificantly; however, a higher incidence of anuclear blastomeres resulte
d following ICSI (14% versus 6% after conventional insemination). Thes
e data suggest that no increase in terms of chromosomally abnormal emb
ryos is associated with the condition of severe male infertility. Howe
ver, genetic counselling in ICSI patients is recommended in order to e
valuate the possibility of an increased genetic risk and its transmiss
ion to the next generation.