Does Microfluidic Sperm Sorting Affect Embryo Ploidy in Human In Vitro Fertilization?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Science
• Genetics
• Embryology

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) success is influenced by embryo quality and genetic integrity.
• Microfluidic sperm sorting is a technique to select motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa.
• Evaluating the impact of sperm selection methods on embryo genetics is crucial for improving IVF outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the genetic status of human embryos derived from microfluidic-sorted spermatozoa.
• To compare preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) results between embryos from sorted and unsorted sperm groups.

Main Methods:

• Embryos from 127 (main group) and 194 (control group) IVF cycles were analyzed.
• Blastocyst biopsy was performed on day 5 for high-throughput sequencing-based PGT-A.
• Embryological parameters including fertilization rates, embryo quality, and blastocyst yield were recorded.

Main Results:

• Microfluidic sperm sorting significantly increased blastocyst yield (p = 0.03) without compromising fertilization or embryo quality.
• No significant difference in the frequency of euploid embryos was observed: 29.9% in the main group vs. 32.4% in the control group (OR = 0.88).

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic sperm sorting improves specific embryological outcomes, notably blastulation rates.
• Current evidence suggests microfluidic sperm sorting does not have a statistically significant impact on the genetic normalcy of preimplantation human embryos.
• The genetic implications of microfluidic sperm sorting warrant further investigation.