title: Chromosomal Aneuploidies and Early Embryonic Developmental Arrest.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Selecting the best embryo for transfer, with the highest chance of achieving a vital pregnancy, is a major goal in current in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology. The high rate of embryonic developmental arrest during IVF treatment is one of the limitations in achieving this goal. Chromosomal abnormalities are possibly linked with chromosomal arrest and selection against abnormal fertilization products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and type of chromosomal abnormalities in preimplantation embryos with developmental arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cohort study included blastomeres of embryos with early developmental arrest that were biopsied and analyzed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with probes for chromosomes 13, 16, 18, 21 and 22. Forty-five couples undergoing IVF treatment were included, and 119 arrested embryos were biopsied. All probes were obtained from the Kinderwunsch Zentrum, Linz, Austria, between August 2009 and August 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these embryos, 31.6% were normal for all chromosomes tested, and 68.4% were abnormal. Eleven embryos were uniformly aneuploid, 20 were polyploid, 3 were haploid, 11 displayed mosaicism and 22 embryos exhibited chaotic chromosomal complement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly 70% of arrested embryos exhibit chromosomal errors, making chromosomal abnormalities a major cause of embryonic arrest and may be a further explanation for the high developmental failure rates during culture of the embryos in the IVF setting.
authors.affiliation: Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Human Genetics, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria ; Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria ; Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Kinderwunsch Zentrum Linz, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebner
authors.affiliation: Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria ; Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Kinderwunsch Zentrum Linz, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puchner
authors.affiliation: Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria ; Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Kinderwunsch Zentrum Linz, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Richard Bernhard
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria ; Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Kinderwunsch Zentrum Linz, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shebl
authors.affiliation: Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria ; Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Kinderwunsch Zentrum Linz, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oppelt
authors.affiliation: Landes-Frauen-und Kinderklinik Linz, Department of Human Genetics, Krankenhausstraße, Linz, Austria ; Johannes Kepler University, Faculty of Medicine, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Duba
keywords: Aneuploidies; Blastomeres; Chromosomes; Embryonic Development; Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization