title: Birth of a healthy infant after preimplantation genetic diagnosis by sequential blastomere and trophectoderm biopsy for β-thalassemia and HLA genotyping.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a widely used technique for couples at genetic risk and involves the diagnosis and transfer of unaffected embryos generated through in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  For those couples who are at risk of transmitting a genetic disease to their offspring, preimplantation embryos can be selected according to their genetic status as well as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility with the affected child. Stem cells from the resulting baby's umbilical cord blood can be used for transplantation to the affected sibling without graft rejection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we report successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after the birth of a healthy infant, who was born after successful PGD testing with both cleavage stage and blastocyst stage biopsy for the purpose of diagnosis of β-thalassemia and HLA compatibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The specific feature of this work is not only to have the first successful HSCT achieved in Bulgaria after using preimplantation HLA typing technique, it also demonstrates how to accomplish this success via cross-border collaboration of different units, which makes the application of these sophisticated methods possible in hospitals not having the necessary equipments and expertise.
authors.affiliation: SAGBAL Dr. Shterev, IVF Unit, Hristo Blagoev 25-31, Sofia, Bulgaria. tanya_ivf@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milachich
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timeva
authors.forename: Cumhur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ekmekci
authors.forename: Cagri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyazyurek
authors.forename: Huseyin Avni
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Tac
authors.forename: Atanas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shterev
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahraman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D050498:Live Birth; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D019836:Preimplantation Diagnosis; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens
keywords: Codon 39 (C→T) (HBB:c.118C>T) mutation; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; IVS-I-6 (T→C) (HBB:c.92+6T>C) mutation; Preimplantation genetic diagnosis; Preimplantation human leukocyte antigen typing; β-Thalassemia