Development and validation of an accurate quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assay for human blastocyst comprehensive chromosomal aneuploidy screening

Objective: To develop and validate a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based method for blastocyst trophectoderm comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) of aneuploidy. Design: Prospective, randomized, and blinded. Setting: Academic center for reproductive medicine. Patient(s): Nine cell lines were obtained from a commercial cell line repository, and 71 discarded human blastocysts were obtained from 24 IVF patients that underwent preimplantation genetic screening. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Consistency of qPCR diagnosis of aneuploidy compared with either conventional karyotyping of cell lines or microarray-based diagnoses of human blastocysts. Result(s): Samples from nine cell lines with well characterized karyotypes were diagnosed by qPCR with 97.6% (41/42) consistency. After applying a minimum threshold for concurrence, 100% consistency was achieved. Developmentally normal blastocysts designated as aneuploid or arrested blastocysts designated as euploid by single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray analyses were assigned identical 24 chromosome diagnoses by qPCR in 98.6% of cases (70/71). Overall euploidy (n = 37) and aneuploidy (n 34) were assigned with 100% consistency. Data was obtained for both sample types in 4 hours. Conclusion(s): These data demonstrate the first qPCR technology capable of accurate aneuploidy screening of all 24 chromosomes in 4 hours. This methodology provides an opportunity to evaluate trophectoderm biopsies with subsequent fresh euploid blastocyst transfer. Randomized controlled trials to investigate the clinical efficacy of qPCR-based CCS are currently underway. (Fertil Steril (R) 2012;97:819-24. (C)2012 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)