Morphokinetic parameters in chromosomal translocation carriers undergoing preimplantation genetic testing.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Can embryo morphokinetic parameters help identify unbalanced embryos in translocation carriers? DESIGN: This retrospective study was conducted in 67 translocation carriers undergoing 105 preimplantation genetic testing cycles for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) without aneuploidy screening (PGT-A). Using time-lapse imaging analysis, morphokinetic parameters of balanced and unbalanced embryos were compared, as well as the frequency of abnormal cellular events. The performance of a previously published prediction model of aneuploidy was also tested in this population. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between balanced and unbalanced embryos for some morphokinetic parameters: t5 (P = 0.0067), t9+ (P = 0.0077), cc2 (P = 0.0144), s2 (P = 0.0003) and t5-t2 (P = 0.0028). Also, multinucleation at the two- or four-cell stages, abnormal division and cell exclusion at the morula stage were significantly (all P < 0.05) more frequent in unbalanced than in balanced embryos. None, however, could accurately predict embryo chromosomal status. A previously published morphokinetic prediction model for embryo aneuploidy did not adequately classify balanced and unbalanced embryos. CONCLUSIONS: No significant morphokinetic predictor of chromosomal status could be found. Time-lapse should not be used as a diagnostic tool for chromosomal status in translocation carriers.

Sexual transmission of Zika virus in an entirely asymptomatic couple returning from a Zika epidemic area, France, April 2016.

The current Zika virus outbreak and its potential severe health consequences, especially congenital fetal syndrome, have led to increased concern about sexual transmission, especially in pregnant women and women of reproductive age. Here we report a case of Zika virus sexual transmission, likely male-to-female, in a totally asymptomatic couple.

Does sperm origin affect embryo morphokinetic parameters?

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to use time-lapse in order to evaluate the impact of sperm origin (fresh ejaculate or surgically retrieved) on embryo morphokinetic parameters and clinical outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. METHODS: This retrospective monocentric study was conducted in 485 unselected couples undergoing 604 ICSI cycles with embryo culture in the Embryoscope®. Among them, 445 couples underwent ICSI cycle with fresh ejaculated sperm and 40 with surgically retrieved sperm (26 with testicular sperm and 14 with epididymal sperm). Embryo morphokinetic parameters and clinical cycle outcome were compared between fresh ejaculated sperm and surgically retrieved sperm. A subgroup analysis was also conducted between testicular and epididymal sperm ICSI cycles. RESULTS: Clinical outcome was comparable between groups according to sperm origin. Although most early morphokinetic parameters were comparable between ejaculated and surgical sperm groups, a few parameters were significantly different between both groups, but with a considerable overlap in their distribution. Late cellular events occurred significantly later in the surgical sperm group than in the ejaculated sperm group. CONCLUSIONS: Morphokinetic analysis did not allow us to identify clinically relevant differences between fresh ejaculate and surgically retrieved sperm groups. Further studies are needed, especially concerning the relationship between sperm origin and late morphokinetic parameters, such as blastocyst development.

External validation of a time-lapse prediction model.

OBJECTIVE: To study the performance of a previously published implantation prediction model based on morphokinetics in a different setting, in an unselected population and with various embryo transfer strategies. DESIGN: Retrospective monocentric study. SETTING: University-based assisted reproduction technology (ART) center. PATIENT(S): 450 unselected couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle with embryo culture in the EmbryoScope (Unisense Fertilitech), corresponding to 528 embryos with known implantation. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Implantation rates (IR) in embryo categories defined by the model in the overall population and in subgroups according to the day of embryo transfer. RESULT(S): The distribution of IR among detailed morphokinetic categories in the overall population and in subgroups according to the day of embryo transfer was more heterogeneous than expected according to the published model. The distribution corresponded better to the original when a simplified version of the model was used, although it worked better in the cleavage-stage group than in the blastocyst-stage group. CONCLUSION(S): This study was unsuccessful in replicating the sensitivity of the previously published model for predicting implantation rate of embryos ranked according to morphokinetic categories. Further work is required to assess the utility of the model for embryo selection. Each team using time-lapse technology should build a center-specific prediction model based on its own data and transfer policy.

Morphokinetic parameters of ICSI tripronucleated embryos observed using time lapse.

Time-lapse analysis of tripronucleated zygotes obtained in ICSI cycles showed that 75.4% cleaved into embryos. These embryos subsequently demonstrated slower developmental kinetics than normally fertilized embryos.