title: Changes in sex ratio from fertilization to birth in assisted-reproductive-treatment cycles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Western gender-neutral countries, the sex ratio at birth is estimated to be approximately 1.06. This ratio is lower than the estimated sex ratio at fertilization which ranges from 1.07 to 1.70 depending on the figures of sex ratio at birth and differential embryo/fetal mortality rates taken into account to perform these estimations. Likewise, little is known about the sex ratio at implantation in natural and assisted-reproduction-treatment (ART) cycles. In this bioessay, we aim to estimate the sex ratio at fertilization and implantation using data from embryos generated by standard in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in preimplantation genetic diagnosis cycles. Thereafter, we compare sex ratios at implantation and birth in cleavage- and blastocyst-stage-transfer cycles to propose molecular mechanisms accounting for differences in post-implantation male and female mortality and thereby variations in sex ratios at birth in ART cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review based on publications up to December 2013 identified by PubMed database searches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sex ratio at both fertilization and implantation is estimated to be between 1.29 and 1.50 in IVF cycles and 1.07 in ICSI cycles. Compared with the estimated sex ratio at implantation, sex ratio at birth is lower in IVF cycles (1.03 after cleavage-stage transfer and 1.25 after blastocyst-stage transfer) but similar and close to unity in ICSI cycles (0.95 after cleavage-stage transfer and 1.04 after blastocyst-stage transfer).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-vitro-culture-induced precocious X-chromosome inactivation together with ICSI-induced decrease in number of trophectoderm cells in female blastocysts may account for preferential female mortality at early post-implantation stages and thereby variations in sex ratios at birth in ART cycles.
authors: Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia 46100, Spain. tarinjj@uv.es.
authors: Juan J
authors: JJ
authors: Tarín
authors: Miguel A
authors: MA
authors: García-Pérez
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Hermenegildo
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Cano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D004477:Ectogenesis; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000009:adverse effects; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D007248:Infertility, Male; D050498:Live Birth; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012744:Sex Ratio; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation