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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
Chromosome Screening of Human Preimplantation Embryos by Using Spent Culture Medium: Sample Collection and Chromosomal Ploidy Analysis
Published on: September 7, 2021
Blastocoel fluid from differentiated blastocysts harbors embryonic genomic material capable of a whole-genome
Kyle J Tobler1, Yulian Zhao2, Ric Ross3
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Objective:
To obtain embryonic molecular karyotypes from genomic DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) isolated from blastocoel fluid (BF) and to compare these karyotypes with the karyotypes from the remaining inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) of the blastocyst.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Academic center and preimplantation genetics laboratory.
Patient(S):
Ninety-six donated cryopreserved embryos.
Intervention(S):
Embryo biopsy, BF aspiration, DNA analysis using a comparative genomic hybridization microarray (aCGH).
Main Outcome Measure(S):
The aCGH of a single blastomere, BF-DNA, and ICM-TE.
Result(S):
The BF-DNA samples resulted in a successful aCGH in 63% of cases. Discordance in karyotypes was found between the BF-DNA and the ICM-TE in 52% of cases. A total of 70% of aneusomic (mosaicism), cleavage-stage embryos differentiated into euploid blastocysts. Probabilities for diagnostic accuracy were calculated and demonstrated the following: sensitivity of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62-0.98); specificity of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.39-0.70); positive predictive value of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.25-0.60); negative predictive value of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.75-0.99).
Conclusion(S):
Genomic DNA from the BF can be amplified and characterized by comprehensive chromosome microarrays. The results demonstrated that aneusomic cleavage-stage embryos differentiated into euploid blastocysts, possibly using a mechanism that marginalizes aneuploid nuclei into the blastocoel cavity. In addition, owing to the high discordance between the karyotypes obtained from the BF-DNA and the ICM-TE, using BF-DNA for preimplantation genetic testing is not yet advised.
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