Chromosome abnormalities in embryos obtained after conventional in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the rate of numerical chromosome abnormalities in embryos derived from bipronucleated zygotes produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and conventional IVF.

DESIGN

Embryos were classified by maternal age and morphological and developmental characteristics to avoid bias when comparing chromosome abnormalities in ICSI and IVF embryos.

SETTING

The Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas Medical Center, West Orange, New Jersey.

PATIENT(S): Seventy-nine couples undergoing IVF and 53 couples undergoing ICSI.

INTERVENTION(S): Embryos donated for research were fully biopsied, and their cells were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization with specific probes for chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18, and 21 and some with also a probe for chromosome 16.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Embryo chromosome abnormalities.

RESULT(S): A total of 245 embryos obtained through conventional IVF and 136 embryos obtained through ICSI were analyzed. There were no statistical differences between the rates of numerical chromosomal abnormalities detected in the IVF (61%) and ICSI (52%) embryos analyzed. Regarding gonosomal aneuploidy, the same rate was found in both ICSI (1%) and IVF groups (2%).

CONCLUSION(S): If the parents are chromosomally normal, the results indicate that, at the embryo level and before any embryo selection has occurred in utero, ICSI does not produce more numerical chromosomal abnormalities than conventional IVF.