Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan;303(1):249-258.
doi: 10.1007/s00404-020-05746-5. Epub 2020 Aug 17.

Transfer the best and biopsy the rest? Blastocyst euploidy rates differ by morphology and day of biopsy

Katherine E McDaniel  1 , Michael S Awadalla  2 , Lynda K McGinnis  3 , Ali Ahmady  3
Affiliations

Transfer the best and biopsy the rest? Blastocyst euploidy rates differ by morphology and day of biopsy

Katherine E McDaniel et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine if blastocyst euploidy rates differ by embryo morphology or day of biopsy.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of euploidy rates based on patient age, overall embryo morphology grade (good, fair, or poor), and day of biopsy (days 5, 6, or 7) for blastocysts undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Our primary analysis included 904 embryos from oocytes age 33-39 years at retrieval.

Results: In our primary analysis, euploidy rates were higher for good quality embryos than poor (64% vs. 48%, p < 0.01) and for fair quality embryos than poor (61% vs. 48%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the euploidy rate between good and fair quality embryos (64% vs. 61%, p = 0.56). Embryos biopsied on day 5 were more likely to be euploid than embryos biopsied on day 6 (59% vs. 50%, p < 0.01) or day 7 (59% vs. 37%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the euploidy rate between day 6 and day 7 embryos (50% vs. 37%, p = 0.07).

Conclusion: PGT-A may be more useful in cycles where a lower euploidy rate is expected based on age at oocyte retrieval, embryo morphology, and day of biopsy. There may be little benefit to biopsy of embryos with a high euploidy rate. Young patients with one or more good quality day 5 embryos may benefit from a "transfer the best fresh and biopsy the rest" strategy.

Keywords: Embryo morphology; Euploid; In vitro fertilization; Next generation sequencing; Preimplantation genetic testing.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Minasi MG, Colasante A, Riccio T et al (2016) Correlation between aneuploidy, standard morphology evaluation and morphokinetic development in 1730 biopsied blastocysts: a consecutive case series study. Hum Reprod 31:2245–2254. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew183 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Franasiak JM, Forman EJ, Hong KH et al (2014) The nature of aneuploidy with increasing age of the female partner: a review of 15,169 consecutive trophectoderm biopsies evaluated with comprehensive chromosomal screening. Fertil Steril 101:656–663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.11.004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vernon M, Stern JE, Ball GD et al (2011) Utility of the national embryo morphology data collection by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART): correlation between day-3 morphology grade and live-birth outcome. Fertil Steril 95:2761–2763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.02.008 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Luke B, Brown MB, Stern JE et al (2014) Using the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome System morphological measures to predict live birth after assisted reproductive technology. Fertil Steril 102:1338–1344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.07.1242 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Racowsky C, Stern JE, Gibbons WE et al (2011) National collection of embryo morphology data into Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcomes Reporting System: associations among day 3 cell number, fragmentation and blastomere asymmetry, and live birth rate. Fertil Steril 95:1985–1989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.02.009 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources