High rate of mixoploidy among human blastocysts cultured in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and type of mixoploidy in human blastocysts produced in vitro.


METHODS
A laboratory study of spare blastocysts from an IVF program.


METHODS
University hospital laboratory.


METHODS
Thirty-nine couples undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.


METHODS
A total of 103 blastocysts were classified as good- or poor-quality blastocysts based on morphology. A total of 6,927 interphase nuclei, 5,015 from 59 good-quality and 1,912 from 44 poor-quality blastocysts, were assessed for ploidy by fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome-specific DNA probes.


METHODS
The percentage and the type of polyploid cells present in each blastocyst.


RESULTS
Mixoploidy (mixture of diploid and polyploid cells) was found in 86% of good-quality and 82% of poor-quality blastocysts analyzed. The type of polyploidy ranged from 3N to 14N, with tetraploidy being the most common between both groups. The proportion of polyploid cells per mixoploid blastocyst ranged from 1% to 88%. The percentage of polyploid nuclei within most good-quality mixoploid blastocysts was small (10%) and significantly lower than in poor-quality blastocysts (19%).


CONCLUSIONS
Most human blastocysts produced in vitro contain polyploid, predominantly tetraploid cells. The proportion of polyploid cells in the majority of good-quality blastocysts is low. The small numbers of blastocysts with a high percentage of polyploid cells may have implications for blastocyst transfer.
Bielanska
Magdalena
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Canada Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Tan
Seang Lin
SL
Ao
Asangla
A
D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004171:Diploidy; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D011123:Polyploidy