We have studied the chromosomal content in 68 normally fertilised freeze-thawed human embryos of good morphology from 34
patients with an average maternal age of 32,6 years. Forty embryos showed post-thaw cellular division and twenty-eight post-thaw
cleavage arrest. After spreading of the embryos on microscope slides, analysis of chromosomes X, Y, 15, 16, 17 and 18 was
performed using two rounds of fluorescent
in situ hybridisation (FISH). According to the results, the embryos were divided into four groups: (I) normal, all nuclei uniformly
diploid, (II) diploid mosaics, normal diploid blastomeres in combination with abnormal blastomeres, (III) abnormal, all nuclei
abnormal, (IV) chaotic, the chromosome constitution varies randomly from cell to cell. Approximately 25% of the embryos had
normal number of the chromosomes tested, while the majority of the embryos were abnormal. Most of the abnormal embryos were
diploid mosaics (57%). This was true for the embryos showing cleavage division as well as the embryos showing cleavage arrest.
Our data show a slightly higher incidence of abnormal embryos compared to those obtained with FISH in non-cryopreserved embryos
and confirm that the majority of preimplantation embryos fertilised
in vitro contain abnormal blastomeres. The results, mechanisms, significance and implications are discussed.
Key words Aneuploidy - Chromosomal abnormality - Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) - in vitro - fertilisation (IVF) - Preimplantation embryo - Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
Received: 19 November 1998 / Accepted: 4 March 1999