Morphokinetic analysis of cleavage stage embryos and its relationship to aneuploidy in a retrospective time-lapse imaging study.

PURPOSE

To analyze differences in morphokinetic parameters of chromosomally normal and aneuploid embryos utilizing time-lapse imaging and CGH microarray analysis.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients undergoing IVF treatment and preimplantation genetic diagnosis for sex selection. A total of 460 embryos cultured in incubators with time-lapse imaging system (EmbryoScope) were selected for biopsy on day 3 of development. Subsequently, CGH microarray analysis was performed for aneuploidy screening of 24 chromosomes. Kinetic parameters including time for appearance of second polar body (tPB2), time of pronuclei appearance (tPNa), time of pronuclei fading (tPBf), time to division to 2(t2), 3(t3), 4(t4), 5(t5) cells, length of second and third cell cycle (CC2= t3 t2, CC3=t5-t3), synchrony of cell division from 2 to 4 cells (S2=t4-t3) and interval t5-t2 were analyzed to compare chromosomally normal and abnormal embryos.

RESULTS

The mean time durations for tPNf, t2, t5, CC2, CC3, t5-t2 differed significantly between normal and abnormal embryos.

CONCLUSIONS

Time-lapse imaging morphokinetics may play a role in early prediction of aneuploid embryos due to differences in kinetic behavior that may aid in improving clinical outcome.