Meta‐analysis of the association between chromosomal polymorphisms and outcomes of embryo transfer following in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Abstract

Background The outcomes of in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) are contradictory among individuals with chromosomal polymorphisms. Objectives To assess whether chromosomal polymorphisms affect the outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies. Search strategy Four online databases were searched from inception to September 18, 2017, using terms including “chromosomal polymorphisms” and “In vitro fertilization.” Selection criteria The meta‐analysis included studies published in any language on IVF/ICSI outcomes in relation to male and/or female chromosomal polymorphisms (n=8). Data collection and analysis Data were extracted using a predesigned form. The IVF/ICSI outcomes were then pooled and their heterogeneity assessed. Main results Male chromosomal polymorphisms showed lowered values for fertilization rate (odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.54; P=0.004); cleavage rate (OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.88–3.72; P<0.001); good quality embryos rate (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.15–1.39; P<0.001); and live birth rate (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.10–1.83; P=0.007). By contrast, early spontaneous abortion rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate were not affected in this group. No relationship was found between IVF/ICSI outcomes and female chromosomal polymorphisms. Conclusions Male, but not female, chromosomal polymorphisms were associated with lowered values for some outcomes of IVF/ICSI.

The Influence of Chromosomal Polymorphism on Embryo Development and Embryonic Molecular Karyotype in Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Chromosomal Translocation

“…Then, the PGT data were analyzed for CTCPM carriers and CT carriers. Embryo development suggests that CPM is associated with multinucleated embryo formation (Sun et al, 2018) and has an impact on fertilization rate, embryo cleavage rate, high-quality embryo rate, and live birth rate (Liang et al, 2014;Ou et al, 2019). However, in our data, there was no statistical difference in fertilization rate, cleavage rate on Day 3, blastocysts rate, or highquality blastocyst rate between CPM carriers and patients with normal chromosomes.…”

“…The high-quality blastocyst rate decreased, and the differences were mainly observed when one spouse had CTCPM, especially male patients, which was consistent with other studies. The study showed that variability in the retention of nucleosomes could interfere with constitutive heterochromatin function in the zygote and so affect the developmental potential of the embryo (Ou et al, 2019). These results may suggest that for CT, CPM may not affect embryo development, but it can decrease the high-quality blastocyst rate in ICSI-PGT.…”

“…CPM is regarded as a normal variation in individuals, but recent studies have shown that CPM has a notable impact on reproductive outcome. A meta-analysis showed that during IVF or ICSI, male partners with CPM had negative effects on fertilization rate, embryo cleavage rate, high-quality embryo rate, and live birth rate, but there were no significant differences in early spontaneous abortion rate, clinical pregnancy rate, or ongoing pregnancy rate (Ou et al, 2019). A multicenter medical study in Brazil showed that CPM accounts for an important proportion of both male and female carriers in couples who have had a first or second miscarriage (Cavalcante et al, 2020).…”

“…It is even suggested that male CPMs are linked to a higher cumulative early miscarriage rate and lower live birth rate following in vitro fertilization (IVF) (Ni et al, 2017). However, some studies show that CPM has no effect on IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome (Ou et al, 2019).…”

Embryo responses to stress induced by assisted reproductive technologies

“…Although ARTs are considered safe, the in vitro environment differs significantly from that in vivo and involves multiple sources of stress for the embryo that can affect the epigenetic reprogramming that occurs during early embryo development (Ghosh, Coutifaris, Sapienza, & Mainigi, ). In humans, many other factors could also affect embryo quality, such as fertility problems or patient age (Ross, & Canovas, ) and male but not female chromosome polymorphisms (Ou et al, ). For ethical reasons, naturally conceived healthy embryos cannot be used as controls for studies in humans.…”