PGD management scheme for older females with balanced translocations: Do older females have less chance of balanced embryo transfer?

OBJECTIVE: Carriers of reciprocal and Robertsonian translocations have a higher risk of experiencing infertility and repeated miscarriages. It is well established that with advancing maternal age, the risk of aneuploidies in embryos increases. In this study, the chance of developing balanced embryos in translocation carriers with advanced maternal age was analyzed to establish a management scheme for couples seeking fertility treatment and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Biopsy was performed on cleavage-stage embryos. Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization was used for PGD. The translocation carriers underwent a total of 55 cycles of PGD. Genetics diagnosis and cycle outcomes of PGD cases were examined.

RESULTS: This study showed that the chance of obtaining a balanced embryo from the Robertsonian translocation carriers was significantly less when the maternal age is advanced. Similar rates for balanced embryos were obtained from the reciprocal translocation carriers.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that maternal age plays an important role and that genetic counselling and planning for a PGD cycle in translocation carriers, particularly for Robertsonian carriers, must be accordingly adapted.