Polar body morphology is not predictive of its cell division origin

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to determine whether morphology of simultaneously biopsied polar bodies is predictive of their cell division origin. Methods: Levels of heterozygosity were measured using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays in sequentially biopsied polar bodies to establish the predictive value on samples with known cell division origins. The validated method of predicting cell division origin of polar bodies using heterozygosity rates was then applied to simultaneously biopsied polar bodies which had origin predictions made by morphological assessment. Results: SNP microarray heterozygosity analysis was proven to be 94% predictive when tested against the known origin of sequentially biopsied polar bodies (n = 133). This methodology subsequently demonstrated that morphology was only 63% consistent when tested on simultaneously biopsied polar bodies (n = 455; P < 0.0001). Predictions of the origins of aneuploidy using morphology assignment were also significantly different than with heterozygosity assignment of polar body cell division origin (P = 0.0003). Conclusions: Studies of the origin of aneuploidy utilizing morphological assignment of polar body cell division origin without heterozygosity analysis may be inaccurate and should be interpreted with caution. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.