title: Telomere length in human blastocysts.
abstract: This is a retrospective study aiming to assess telomere length in human embryos 4 days post fertilization and to determine whether it is correlated to chromosomal ploidy, embryo developmental rate and patient age. Embryos were donated from patients undergoing treatment in the assisted conception unit. Seven couples took part, generating 35 embryos consisting of 1130 cells. Quantitative fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) measured the telomere length of every cell using a pan-telomeric probe. Conventional FISH on six chromosomes was used to assess aneuploidy in the same cells. Maternal and paternal age, referral reason, embryo developmental rate and type of chromosomal error were taken into account. Chromosomally abnormal cells were associated with shorter telomeres than normal cells for embryos that were developmentally slow. Cells produced by women of advanced maternal age and those with a history of repeated miscarriage tended to have substantially shorter telomeres. There was no significant difference in telomere length with respect to the rate of embryo development 5 days post fertilization. Telomeres play an important role in cell division and shorter telomeres may affect embryonic ploidy. Reduced telomere length was associated with aneuploid cells and embryos from women of advanced maternal age.
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for PGD, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom; Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH), The New Wing Eastman Dental Hospital, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: anastasia.mania@uclh.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mania
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for PGD, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom; Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH), The New Wing Eastman Dental Hospital, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantzouratou
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for PGD, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Joy D A
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Delhanty
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Science, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baio
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH), The New Wing Eastman Dental Hospital, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serhal
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for PGD, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sioban B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sengupta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000196:embryology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016615:Telomere / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: aneuploidy; blastocyst; human; preimplantation embryo; quantitative FISH; telomere length