Improved implantation after preimplantation genetic diagnosis of aneuploidy

The objective of this study was to assess the improvement in implantation rates after preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of numerical abnormalities for the sole indication of advanced maternal age when compared with a control group. Each PGD patient was matched to a control patient according to several parameters prior to obtaining pregnancy results. The diagnosis was based on the analysis of chromosomes X, Y, 13, 15, 16, 18, 21 and 22 plus a ninth probe (1, 7, 14 or 17) on a single cell per embryo. The results were also analysed in relation to the previous number of IVF cycles and the number of dipronucleated zygotes obtained, when replacing presumptively chromosomally normal embryos on day 4 of development. It was found that women of advanced reproductive age (average age 40 years) had a higher implantation rate (18%) than their matched controls treated with standard IVF (11%) (P < 0.05). This increase was not observed in patients with two or more previous IVF cycles or patients with fewer than eight zygotes. Patients with eight or more 2PN zygotes and one or no previous cycles showed the greatest improvement in implantation rate, from 8.8% in controls to 19.2% in the PGD group (average age 40 years) (P < 0.025).