Does ICSI for in vitro fertilization cause more aneuploid embryos?

Abstract Background High proportion of human embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) is aneuploidy. Many factors are related to the prevalence of embryonic aneuploidies, such as maternal age, sperm quality, and in vitro manipulation of oocytes. Oocytes are usually inseminated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures for preimplantation genetic testing. There is still no available information whether insemination procedures, regular IVF or ICSI, affect embryonic aneuploidies. Methods In this case report, a patient at her age of 47 years old received donated oocytes from a young donor for infertility treatment. Half of oocytes were inseminated by regular IVF and other half of oocytes were inseminated by ICSI. Fertilized oocytes were cultured to blastocyst stage and then biopsied for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A). The proportions of aneuploidies were compared between two insemination procedures. Results Forty-seven oocytes were retrieved, 23 were inseminated by regular IVF and 24 were removed from enclosed cumulus cells for ICSI. Out of 24 oocytes, 21 oocytes at metaphase II were inseminated by ICSI. After fertilization assessment, it was found that 12 oocytes from regular IVF fertilized normally. Nine blastocysts (75%) were biopsied and 1 (11.1%) was aneuploidy. By contrast, 19 out of 21 oocytes inseminated by ICSI fertilized normally, 14 blastocysts (73.7%) were obtained and 7 (50.0%) were aneuploidy. Transfer of a euploid blastocyst from regular IVF resulted in a healthy baby delivery. Conclusion These results indicate that more embryos produced by ICSI are aneuploidy as compared with embryos produced by regular IVF. The results indicate that in vitro manipulation of oocytes for ICSI procedure may have adverse effect on human oocytes, and it may be one of the reasons causing aneuploid embryos in human IVF.