Conventional and molecular cytogenetic analyses of a derivative X chromosome in amniocentesis / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the aberrant der(X) chromosome using conventional and molecular cytogenetic approaches in a fetus of second trimester and to discuss its clinical effect.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Conventional cytogenetic procedures (GTG and CBG banding) were performed on cultured amniotic fluid cells. Three-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) consisting of X chromosome enumeration probes(CEPX), CEPY and Tel Xp/Yp was further performed to study the aberrant der(X) chromosome.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Der(X) was a rare X/Y translocation. The final karyotypes of the fetus was designated as: 46,X,der(X)t(X;Y)(p22.3;q11.2). ish der(X)t(X;Y)(p22.3;q11.2)(X/Ypter-, DXZ1+, DYZ1+)mat.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combination of FISH and conventional cytogenetic techniques is a powerful tool to determine derivative chromosome and to offer an accurate genetic counseling. Identification of Xp; Yq rearrangement can help estimate the risk of fetus abnormalities and give a more precise prognosis.</p>

Genetic analysis of a complex chromosome rearrangement involving two chromosomes and four breakpoints in an azoospermic man / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To perform genetic analysis of a complex chromosome rearrangement (CCR) 46,XY, t(3;11)(q27; q13), ins(11;3)(q13;p26p13) in an azoospermic man.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peripheral blood lymphocytes we re obtained for karyotyping, and metaphases were studied by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization procedure, Y chromosomal microdeletions in the azoospermia factor (AZF) region were analyzed with multiplex polymerase chain reaction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The case was a complex chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 3 and 11 with four breakpoints, and accompanied with a band of chromosome 3 inserting into chromosome 11. No Y-chromosome microdeletions were identified at 6 STS sequences of the AZF loci.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CCR can have a significant impact on male fertility. Molecular cytogenetic techniques may contribute to improving and personalizing reproductive counseling.</p>

Sperm-fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in patients with pericentric inversions of Y chromosome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the sex chromosome meiotic segregation in inv(Y) patients by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Conventional cytogenetic procedures (GTG and CBG banding) and FISH were performed on metaphase chromosome. Three-color FISH was performed on sperm samples using a probe mixture containing CEPX, Tel Xp/Yp and Tel Xq/Yq to investigate the sex chromosome segregation of five inv(Y) (p11.1q11.2) carriers. A healthy man with normal semen parameters was used as control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistical difference in the abnormal sex chromosome number and recombination frequencies in each spermatozoon from the patient in comparison with that in the control.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There was no apparent sex chromosome abnormality in the sperm of the inv(Y) (p11.1q11.2) carriers. Sperm-FISH allows further understanding of the sex chromosome segregation pattern and an accurate genetic counseling.</p>

Accuracy of a combined score of zygote and embryo morphology for selecting the best embryos for IVF / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the accuracy of a scoring system combining zygote and embryo morphology in predicting the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In a study group, 117 consecutive IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles with embryo transfer were carried out and 312 embryos were scored using a combined scoring system (CSS) of zygote and embryo morphology before transplantation. In a control group, a total of 420 IVF or ICSI cycles were carried out and 1176 embryos were scored using a cumulative embryo score (CES). The effects of the combined scoring system on the embryo implantation rate and pregnancy rate per cycle were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Using the combined scoring system, the embryo implantation rate (27.6%) and the clinical pregnancy rate (48.7%) were significantly higher than those in the control group (20.8% and 38.6%, respectively). Also, the implantation rate of embryos scoring>or=70 (38.5%: 82 sacs/213 embryos) was significantly higher (P<0.001) than that of embryos scoring<70 (4%: 4 sacs/99 embryos). The pregnancy rate of patients with embryos scoring>or=70 using the combined scoring system (66.7%) was significantly higher (P<0.001) than that of patients with embryos scoring>or=20 using the cumulative embryo score (59.0%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that selecting embryos with a high score (>or=70) using the combined scoring system could increase the implantation rate and pregnancy rate, and that using a scoring system combining assessments of human zygotes and pre-implantation embryos might predict IVF outcomes more accurately than using a cumulative embryo score.</p>

Adriamycin induces H2AX phosphorylation in human spermatozoa / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate whether adriamycin induces DNA damage and the formation of gammaH2AX (the phosphorylated form of histone H2AX) foci in mature spermatozoa.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human spermatozoa were treated with adriamycin at different concentrations. gammaH2AX was analyzed by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry and double-strand breaks (DSB) were detected by the comet assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The neutral comet assay revealed that the treatment with adriamycin at 2 microg/mL for different times (0.5, 2, 8 and 24 h), or for 8 h at different concentrations (0.4, 2 and 10 microg/mL), induced significant DSB in spermatozoa. Immunofluorent staining and flow cytometry showed that the expression of gH2AX was increased in a dose-dependent and time-dependant manner after the treatment of adriamycin. Adriamycin also induced the concurrent appearance of DNA maintenance/repair proteins RAD50 and 53BP1 with gammaH2AX in spermatozoa. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) family, abolished the co-appearance of these two proteins with gammaH2AX.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Human mature spermatozoa have the same response to DSB-induced H2AX phosphorylation and subsequent recruitment of DNA maintenance/repair proteins as somatic cells.</p>

Progress in the derivation, culture of human embryonic stem cells / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are considered to be a valuable resource for research in regenerative medicine, drug screening, and developmental studies. However, hES cells are usually established and maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers, and the risk of animal origin contamination from feeder layer generally excludes the clinical use of these hES cells. The main emphasis over the last several years has been in finding defined serum-and feeder layer-free system for derivation and culture of hES cells to enable the clinical use of hES cell for cell transplantation.

In vitro maturation--n vitro fertilization--embryo transfer--frozen-thawed of human oocytes / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of different cycles, ovarian follicle size and IVM culture media on the number of retrieved immature oocytes, maturation rate, fertilization rate, embryo quality and implantation rate, pregnancy rate, delivery rate, survival and development of frozen-thawed embryos from IVM.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The oocytes were obtained by follicular aspiration from 19 women undergoing oocyte retrieval for in vitro maturation due to the possible risk of ovarian hyperstimulation in IVF-ET program. One patient was in natural cycle, four patients were in ovulation induction cycles with gonadotropine and fourteen patients is controlled ovarian stimulated cycles. All the oocytes retrieved from follicles with 10.0 - 13.5 mm in maximumdiameter were allowed to culture in medium M-199 (TCM 199) or HTF supplemented with other substance.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>When there were nonuniform diameters of follicles and the diameter of largest oocyte exceeded 12 mm, the retrieval rate of oocytes, fertilization rate, and the number of high-quality embryos decreased. The high-quality embryos formation rate was higher for the oocytes cultured in TCM 199 medium than in HTF medium (P<0.01). After being frozen-thawed, the IVM embryos could achieve the same outcome when compared with the conventional IVF treatment. In addition, the offspring were healthy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>When the nonuniform diameters of follicles and the diameter of largest oocyte exceeds 12 mm,the retrieval rate of oocytes, fertilization rate, and the number of high-quality embryos decreased. TCM199-based medium is better to improve the developmental potential and implantation rate of embryos derived from in vitro matured oocytes. After being frozen-thawed, the IVM embryos could achieve the same outcome when compared with the conventional IVF treatment. In addition, the offspring are healthy.</p>

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for Down syndrome pregnancy / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) conducted for women who had Down syndrome pregnancy previously.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Trisomy 21 was diagnosed by using fluorescence in site hybridization (FISH) before embryo transfer in two women who had Down syndrome pregnancies. Each received one or two PGD cycles respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Case 1: one PGD cycle was conducted, two oocytes were fertilized and biopsied. One embryo is of trisomy 21 and the other of monosomy 21. No embryo was transferred. Case 2: two PGD cycles were conducted, in total, sixteen oocytes were fertilized and biopsied. Four embryos were tested to be normal, six of trisomy 21, and one of monosomy 21. Five had no signal. Four normal embryos were transferred but no pregnancy resulted.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For couples who had pregnancies with Down syndrome previously, PGD can be considered, and has been shown to be an effective strategy.</p>

Detecting microdeletions of the Y chromosome in patients with high follicle-stimulating hormone azoospermia / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between the patients' high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) azoospermia and microdeletions in Y chromosome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eleven sequence tagged sites (STSs) in Yq were detected by PCR in 16 male patients' high FSH azoospermia.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Microdeletions were observed in 6 of 16 male patients and the deletion rate was 37.5%(6/16). Five types of microdeletions were detected: AZFc(SY152), AZFc (SY152+SY254)+AZFd (SY153), AZFc (SY152+SY254+SY255)+AZFd (SY153), AZFc (SY152+SY158+SY255)+AZFd (SY153),and AZFb (SY130)+AZFc (SY158+SY254+SY255)+AZFd (SY153) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Microdeletion of Y chromosome was one of the important reasons of the patients' high FSH azoospermia. Before the application of assisted-reproductive technology (ART) to the patients, it is necessary to detect the microdeletions, especially AZFc and AZFd.</p>

Correlation between polyspermy and the outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of polyspermy on IVF outcomes in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). METHODS: The data from 496 IVF-ET cycles and 5349 oocytes were analyzed retrospectively. A comparison of a number of fertility parameters with and without polyspermy was done. The fertility parameters were the number of oocytes retrieved, percentage of mature oocytes, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, occytes for ET, pregnancy rate. RESULTS: The percentage of mature occytes, fertilization rate, cleavage rate was 67.0 %,76.7 %and 95.6 %, respectively( P< 0.01). The pregnancy rate was higher in polyspermic fertilization cycles (25.7 %) than in cycles without polyspermy(23.6 %),but with no statistical significance ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Polyspermic fertilization is correlated with improved oocyte receptibility to sperm and could be considered as an encouraging sign for the success of IVF.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: two successful cases / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE: To establish a technology of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. METHODS: Intracytoplasm sperm injection and blastomere biopsy were performed on two women at the advanced age with the fallopian tube obstruction. Normal embryos were selected for embryo transfer after fluorescence in-situ hybridziation in biopsied blastomere. RESULTS: The levels of serum HCG were increased 20 days after embryo transfer and ultrasonography in 16 gestation weeks showed the fetal growth and structure are normal. CONCLUSION: Two successful clinical pregnancies achieved after preimplantation genetic diagnosis.