Gonadal activity and chromosomal constitution of in vitro generated embryos

Chromosomal analysis of pre-implantation embryos was carried out in patients with a poor prognosis of full term pregnancy, which underwent induction of multiple follicular growth. In all, 1034 embryos generated from 191 stimulated cycles were screened for nine chromosome aneuploidy by using the multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridisation technique. Thirty-five percent of the diagnosed embryos were chromosomally normal, whereas the remaining presented with numerical abnormalities, which made them not suitable for transfer. The results obtained confirmed that the incidence of abnormalities is mostly dependent on age; however, monosomy and trisomy are more frequent in poor responders. Accordingly, the pregnancy rate per started cycle was significantly higher in women with a normal response to gonadotropic stimulation (33% vs. 8%, P < 0.001). These findings indicate that poor responder patients are physiologically exposed not only to reduced chances of implantation but also to an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and trisomic pregnancies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.