Clinical value of preimplantation genetic diagnosis

The clinical application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has provided an alternative approach for the prevention of affected pregnancies in couples at high reproductive risk. The frequent contribution of genetic factors to infertility problems makes PGD of particular value for assisted reproductive practices. In addition, the selection of euploid embryos for transfer has a strong impact on IVF efficiency as aneuploidies are the main cause of spontaneous abortions and implantation failures. In this study, the clinical outcome in PGD cycles is presented. The list of monogenic disorders for which PGD is performed is rapidly extending and the safety of the procedure has lead to an increasing interest among couples at high reproductive risk. Following PGD for aneuploidy, a higher implantation rate and a lower incidence of spontaneous abortions are obtained in patient categories where aneuploidy is a prominent cause of reproductive failure. In view of these findings, PGD has become an integral part of assisted reproductive techniques for the prevention of affected pregnancies and improvement of IVF efficiency. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.