Morphokinetic behavior of euploid and aneuploid embryos analyzed by time-lapse in embryoscope.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic aneuploidy may result in miscarriage, implantation failure, or birth defects. Thus, it is clinically necessary to avoid the selection of aneuploid embryos during in vitro fertilization treatment. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the morphokinetic differences by analyzing the development of euploid and aneuploid embryos using a time-lapse technology. We also checked the accuracy of a previously described model for selection of euploid embryos based on morphokinetics in our study population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective study of 29 cycles undergoing preimplantation genetic screening from October 2013 to April 2015 at our center. Of 253 embryos, 167 suitable for biopsy embryos were analyzed for their chromosomal status using array-comparative genome hybridization (CGH). The morphokinetic behavior of these embryos was further analyzed in embryoscope using time-lapse technology. RESULTS: Among the analyzed embryos, 41 had normal and 126 had abnormal chromosome content. No significant difference in morphokinetics was found between euploid and aneuploid embryos. The percentage of embryos with blastulation was similar in the euploid (65.85%, 27/41) and aneuploid (60.31%, 76/126) embryos (P = 0.76). Although hard to define, majority of the chromosomal defects might be due to meiotic errors. On applying embryo selection model from Basile et al., embryos falling within optimal ranges for time to division to 5 cells (t5), time period of the third cell cycle (CC3), and time from 2 cell division to 5 cell division (t5-t2) exhibited greater proportion of normal embryos than those falling outside the optimal ranges (28.6%, 25.9%, and 26.7% vs. 17.5%, 20.8%, and 14.3%). CONCLUSION: Keeping a track of time interval between two stages can help us recognize aneuploid embryos at an earlier stage and prevent their selection of transfer. However, it cannot be used as a substitute for array CGH to select euploid embryos for transfer.

Transfer of human frozen-thawed embryos with further cleavage during culture increases pregnancy rates.

AIM: To compare the pregnancy rate following transfer of frozen-thawed embryos with or without overnight culture after thawing. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles performed between January 2006 and December 2008. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 518 thaw cycles, 504 resulted in embryo transfers (ETs). Of the total FET cycles, 415 were performed after an overnight culture of embryos (group A); and in 89 cycles, ET was performed within 2 hours of embryo thawing (group B). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were statistically analyzed using chi-square test. RESULTS: We observed that with FET, women ≤30 years of age had a significantly higher (P=0.003) pregnancy rate (PR=28.9%) as compared to women >30 years of age (17.5%). A significantly higher (P<0.001**) pregnancy rate was also observed in women receiving 3 frozen-thawed embryos (29%) as compared to those who received less than 3 embryos (10.7%). The difference in PR between group A (PR=24.3%) and group B (PR=20.3%) was not statistically significant. However, within group A, ET with cleaved embryos showed significantly (P≤0.01) higher pregnancy rate compared to the uncleaved embryos, depending on the number of cleaved embryos transferred. CONCLUSION: No significant difference was noticed between FETs made with transfer of embryos with overnight culture and those without culture. However, within the cultured group, transfer of embryos cleaved during overnight culture gave significantly higher PR than transfers without any cleavage.

Successful pregnancies and a live birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection in globozoospermia.

Globozoospermia is a severe form of teratozoospermia characterized by round-headed acrosomeless spermatozoa. Here we present two successful pregnancies and a live birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.