PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS OF ANEUPLOIDY AND MALE-INFERTILITY

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.