SNP microarray-based 24 chromosome aneuploidy screening demonstrates that cleavage-stage FISH poorly predicts aneuploidy in embryos that develop to morphologically normal blastocysts

Although selection of chromosomally normal embryos has the potential to improve outcomes for patients undergoing IVF, the clinical impact of aneuploidy screening by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been controversial. There are many putative explanations including sampling error due to mosaicism, negative impact of biopsy, a lack of comprehensive chromosome screening, the possibility of embryo self-correction and poor predictive value of the technology itself. Direct analysis of the negative predictive value of FISH-based aneuploidy screening for an embryo's reproductive potential has not been performed. Although previous studies have found that cleavage-stage FISH is poorly predictive of aneuploidy in morphologically normal blastocysts, putative explanations have not been investigated. The present study used a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray-based 24 chromosome aneuploidy screening technology to re-evaluate morphologically normal blastocysts that were diagnosed as aneuploid by FISH at the cleavage stage. Mosaicism and preferential segregation of aneuploidy to the trophectoderm (TE) were evaluated by characterization of multiple sections of the blastocyst. SNP microarray technology also provided the first opportunity to evaluate self-correction mechanisms involving extrusion or duplication of aneuploid chromosomes resulting in uniparental disomy (UPD). Of all blastocysts evaluated (n = 50), 58% were euploid in all sections despite an aneuploid FISH result. Aneuploid blastocysts displayed no evidence of preferential segregation of abnormalities to the TE. In addition, extrusion or duplication of aneuploid chromosomes resulting in UPD did not occur. These findings support the conclusion that cleavage-stage FISH technology is poorly predictive of aneuploidy in morphologically normal blastocysts.