CORRELATION BETWEEN CELLFREE MITOCHONDRIAL DNA CONTENT OF EMBRYO CULTURE MEDIUM AND HUMAN EMBRYO FRAGMENTATION AND GRADING
Abstract: Background: -During In vitro fertilization technology, embryo potential for
implantation and successful pregnancy is usually evaluated depending on
mostly morphological criteria. Embryo fragmentation is often used as the
main criterion for qualifying the human embryo grade and its implantation
potential. Fragments of human embryoblastomeres are apoptotic bodies and
or anuclear cytoplasmic pieces that release mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
into the embryo secretome. Cell freemtDNA content of human embryo
secretome can be used as a noninvasive tool to evaluate the fragmentation of
the embryo cells and thus its grade and implantation potential.
Aim: the aim of the present research was to evaluate the correlation between
Mitochondrial DNA content of embryo culture medium and human embryo
blastomeres fragmentation as an objective noninvasive criterion for embryo
quality.

Materials and Methods:-50 spent embryo culture mediawere collected
from17 Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.After extraction and
purification of the free circulating DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was
profiled by specific semi quantitative method (Agarose gel
electrophoresis).Agarose gel electrophoresis revealed the amplification of the
mtDNA from many samples but with different concentrations (the intensity
of the bands were vary greatly) and some other samples failed to give a
positive amplification.

Results: - mtDNA was semi quantified in 50 spent media samples collected
from 17 female patients. In 12 samples (24%) mtDNA was undetectable. 6
samples showed mild mtDNA profile, 21 samples with moderate mtDNA
profile and 11 samples showed severe mtDNA profile. Insignificant
correlation was found between mtDNA profiling in D3 of embryonic
development and embryo fragmentation, but when correlating mtDNA
profile on D3 and embryo fragmentation and grade; highly significant
correlation was found with embryos of G2 or lower quality.

Conclusion: -Results of the work shown in the present paper are suggestive
of a significant correlation between the human embryo culture media
mtDNA content and the degree of embryo blastomeres fragmentation
especially in bad quality embryos; that may constitute a promising
noninvasive objective criterion for human embryo quality grading and for
selecting single embryo transfer policy.
URL
Publication year 2016
Pages 892-902
Organization Name
Author(s) from ARC
External authors (outside ARC)
    Azza A. Abdel Razik Department of obstetrics and gynecology, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
    Manal O. El Hamshary GEBRI, Sadat City University, Egypt.
    Omima A. Khamiss GEBRI, Sadat City University, Egypt.
    MagdEldin M. Mohamed Soliman .
Publication Type Journal
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