{"id":41,"date":"2020-03-11T00:39:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T00:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2024-03-26T12:08:07","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:08:07","slug":"pgt-a","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/en\/pgt-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Chromosomal Screening of Embryos \u2014 PGT-A"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul id=\"tocList\" class=\"toclist\">\u00a0<\/ul>\n<p>PGT-A, or&nbsp;<em>preimplantation genetic testing for&nbsp;aneuploidies,<\/em> is a comprehensive screening performed on&nbsp;embryos before&nbsp;transfer. This test reveals the set and&nbsp;structure of chromosomes (bearing genetic material) in&nbsp;each tested embryo.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, embryos have 23 pairs of chromosomes (<em>euploid<\/em> embryos). But&nbsp;nearly half of the embryos will have abnormal chromosome set (<em>aneuploid<\/em> embryos). When\u00a0an extra, or\u00a0missing chromosome, is found in\u00a0the embryo it is less likely to implant. If&nbsp;the implantation did take place, then, unfortunately, there is a high probability that&nbsp;a pregnancy with such an embryo will end in&nbsp;a spontaneous loss. In&nbsp;some cases, such a pregnancy can still develop to full term, but\u00a0a baby with a genetic condition will be born (e.g. Down syndrome \u2014 an extra chromosome 21).<\/p>\n<p>PGT-A tests the set of chromosomes in&nbsp;DNA taken from embryos. Embryos with an abnormal set of chromosomes will not lead to a healthy live birth, hence they are excluded from use. Embryos with a normal set of chromosomes would be used for&nbsp;the embryo transfer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>PGT-A does not make the embryos better, PGT-A shows which&nbsp;embryos have a normal set of chromosomes from those available<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Chromosomal screening helps to select the best embryo for&nbsp;transfer &#8211; so&nbsp;your chances of getting pregnant are higher, and&nbsp;miscarriage rates are lower, after&nbsp;the transfer of not only a good-looking, but&nbsp;also euploid embryo. On&nbsp;Figure 1 you can see an example of two excellent morphology embryos with corresponding PGT-A results: a \u2014 abnormal (missing chromosome 22), b \u2014 normal. Despite the seeming similarity, these embryos have different prospects: the transfer of an a-embryo will not result in&nbsp;a successful pregnancy; the transfer of a b-embryo will result in&nbsp;an ongoing pregnancy and&nbsp;live birth with a 49% chance.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" noroundbor noshadow alignnone wp-image-2358 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1.jpg\" alt=\"Best quality blastocysts\" width=\"1948\" height=\"737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1.jpg 1948w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1-300x114.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1-1200x454.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1-768x291.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/best-quality-blastocysts-1-1536x581.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1948px) 100vw, 1948px\" \/><strong>Fig.1 Best quality blastocysts, from a patient of 39 years old, showing different PGT-A results: <br \/>\na) abnormal (missing chromosome 22);<br \/>\nb) normal.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>What are the goals of PGT-A?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>To increase pregnancy rates<\/li>\n<li>To reduce miscarriage rates<\/li>\n<li>To increase live birth rates per embryo transfer<\/li>\n<li>To shorten the time to pregnancy (reduce the number of embryo transfers required to create a pregnancy)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"getcons\">Have questions?<\/p>\n<p class=\"getcons\"><a class=\"button contactus ui large\" href=\"#footerform\">Get a Free Consultation!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What are the indications for&nbsp;PGT-A?<\/h2>\n<p>To get the DNA from the embryo we need to biopsy it. <em>Embryo biopsy<\/em>, despite its safety, is an invasive procedure. It is another additional step in&nbsp;IVF, so&nbsp;needs solid indication of the benefits before&nbsp;being carried out.<\/p>\n<p>But&nbsp;there are, in&nbsp;several patient groups, unquestionable benefits for&nbsp;using PGT-A.<\/p>\n<h4>Indications for&nbsp;PGT-A:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Advanced maternal age;<\/li>\n<li>Recurrent Early Pregnancy Loss;<\/li>\n<li>Chromosomal rearrangements in\u00a0karyotype of one of patients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Advanced Maternal Age<\/h4>\n<p>It is well-documented that&nbsp;the chromosomally abnormal status of an embryo is contributed mainly by the egg (more than&nbsp;90%). Maternal age is crucial for&nbsp;the genetic constitution of the egg and&nbsp;hence of the embryo, as&nbsp;the embryo derives from the egg.<\/p>\n<p>PGT-A is a very helpful method for&nbsp;women above 35 to shorten time to pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What proportion of embryos at&nbsp;blastocyst stage are expected to have a normal set of chromosomes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"pic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"431\" class=\"w70p alignnone wp-image-11201 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-300x86.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-150x43.jpg 150w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-768x221.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-270x78.jpg 270w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-900x259.jpg 900w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-1200x345.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-1170x336.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-870x250.jpg 870w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-370x106.jpg 370w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-554x159.jpg 554w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-306x88.jpg 306w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-260x75.jpg 260w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chart2-87x25.jpg 87w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"pic-sm\">[Munne, S. et al. (2015). Blastocysts needed to transfer at\u00a0least one euploid embryo: data from 10,852 pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) cycles. Fertility and\u00a0Sterility, Volume 104, Issue 3, e13 &#8211; e14]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Every second blastocyst is expected to have a normal set of chromosomes in&nbsp;the age group 35-37;<\/li>\n<li>Only one in&nbsp;8 blastocysts is expected to have a normal set of chromosomes by the age of 43.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to various extensive studies, women aged 35 and&nbsp;older, have a significant increase in&nbsp;live birth rates per embryo transferred after&nbsp;PGT-A, in&nbsp;comparison to control. Also, in&nbsp;many cases (spontaneous pregnancy losses, IVF failures) PGT-A can help increase IVF success for&nbsp;women under the age of 35 years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diagram 1. STAR Trial Compared with SART (National Summary report USA (2014-2017). Pregnancy outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"w80p noroundbor noshadow alignnone wp-image-2159 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart-300x110.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart-1024x376.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart-768x282.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/STAR-Chart-1536x564.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>STAR \u2014 20-week ongoing pregnancy rate per transfer, note that&nbsp;all 20-week ongoing pregnancies resulted in&nbsp;a live birth<br \/>\n<\/em><em>SART \u2014 Live birth rate per eSET<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>PGT-A does not increase success rates in&nbsp;egg donation or&nbsp;double donation cycles, since&nbsp;eggs from younger women are used. PGT-A just makes the cost of success higher in&nbsp;egg donation and&nbsp;double donation cycles.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Recurrent Early Pregnancy Loss<\/h4>\n<p>Multiple, unsuccessful, IVF attempts and&nbsp;miscarriages are very upsetting and&nbsp;frustrating for&nbsp;patients. If&nbsp;the cause of the previous failures was aneuploid embryos, these patients will also then benefit from PGT-A.<\/p>\n<h4>Chromosomal rearrangements in&nbsp;karyotype of one of patients<\/h4>\n<p>If&nbsp;a person carries balanced chromosomal rearrangements \u2014\u00a0their embryos are at&nbsp;greater risk of aneuploidy. These cases are rare, but&nbsp;the only effective and&nbsp;safe treatment for&nbsp;it is IVF with PGT-A.<\/p>\n<h2>How is PGT-A done?<\/h2>\n<p>The only way to perform PGT-A is during IVF cycle.<\/p>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"noroundbor noshadow alignnone wp-image-2165 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf.jpg\" alt=\"How is PGT-A done?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf-300x62.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf-1024x213.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf-768x160.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pgta-ivf-1536x320.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<div><strong>Egg Fertilization<\/strong><br \/> After&nbsp;fertilization the embryos grow in&nbsp;the lab for&nbsp;5-6 days and&nbsp;become blastocysts. During that&nbsp;time, natural selection is in&nbsp;action, so&nbsp;on average only half of the fertilized eggs reach blastocyst stage. Those that&nbsp;stopped their development are believed to be genetically incompetent.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div><strong>Embryo Biopsy + Freezing<\/strong><br \/>\nBlastocysts with good morphology are biopsied on&nbsp;Days 5-6. During the biopsy an embryologist takes 3-7 cells from the outer part of the blastocyst (trophectoderm, TE). The inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst remains intact, so&nbsp;there is no harm to the future baby. Biopsies from each blastocyst are marked and&nbsp;sent to the genetics lab for&nbsp;analysis. Then the blastocysts are frozen and&nbsp;stored individually.<br \/>\n<strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"w50p noshadow alignnone wp-image-2366 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"Blastocyst biopsy\" width=\"770\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/video.jpg 1602w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/>Fig. 2. Blastocyst biopsy. ICM \u2014 inner cell mass (future baby), TE \u2014 trophectoderm (future embryonic placenta) <\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div><strong>Genetic Testing Results<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are several methods for&nbsp;PGT-A, the most modern and&nbsp;reliable is <em>next generation sequencing (NGS)<\/em>. It takes around two weeks to gain the results from the genetic lab for&nbsp;each embryo.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div><strong>Frozen Embryo Transfer<\/strong><br \/> When&nbsp;the genetic results are ready, and&nbsp;at least one euploid embryo is available based on&nbsp;PGT-A result, the preparation of endometrium for&nbsp;embryo transfer begins. On&nbsp;the day of transfer an embryologist thaws the chosen embryo and&nbsp;prepares it for&nbsp;transfer.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"getcons\">Have questions?<\/p>\n<p class=\"getcons\"><a class=\"button contactus ui large\" href=\"#footerform\">Get a Free Consultation!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How to interpret the results of PGT-A?<\/h2>\n<p>The sensitivity (no false negatives) and&nbsp;specificity (no false positives) of NGS method of PGT-A are around 95-98%, as&nbsp;confirmed by various authors. It means that&nbsp;you can trust the results, but&nbsp;also that&nbsp;no diagnostic method can give 100% accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>Embryos are highly dynamic structures, embryonic cells divide very actively, so&nbsp;genetic errors in&nbsp;these divisions can occur. This leads to a <em>mosaicism<\/em> of the embryo \u2014 different cells in&nbsp;the embryo may have a different set of chromosomes. But&nbsp;the biopsy only takes out 3-7 cells of the blastocyst, so&nbsp;the question is \u2013 \u2018are these cells representative of the rest of the embryo\u2019? For&nbsp;now, the answer is \u2018YES\u2019 in&nbsp;most cases, these cells are concordant (representative) of the others.<\/p>\n<p>Results for&nbsp;each embryo will be given by a simple definition \u2014 \u2018recommended for&nbsp;transfer\u2019, \u2018not recommended for&nbsp;transfer\u2019, or&nbsp;\u2018recommended upon signing the consent form\u2019. But, what does this later definition usually mean? In&nbsp;most cases those embryos are considered mosaic or&nbsp;bearing some light form of abnormalities. Mosaicism in&nbsp;the fetus and&nbsp;newborn baby is a much rarer event than&nbsp;in&nbsp;the embryo, so&nbsp;there must be some mechanism for&nbsp;the elimination of abnormal cells throughout pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>If&nbsp;you receive a PGT-A result of some embryos being considered as&nbsp;mosaic, it is better to plan an appointment with your doctor to assess the possible risks and&nbsp;benefits of transferring a mosaic embryo. If&nbsp;euploid embryos are also available for&nbsp;transfer, then preferably these should be transferred instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"getcons\">Have questions? Book an online consultation with one of our expert doctors to discuss your questions and&nbsp;your individual medical situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"getcons\"><a class=\"button contactus ui large\" href=\"#footerform\">Get a Free Consultation!<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<p>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0015028217302996\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Munn\u00e9 S. and&nbsp;Wells D. (2017) Detection of mosaicism at&nbsp;blastocyst stage with the use of high-resolution next-generation sequencing. Fertility and&nbsp;Sterility, Volume 107, Issue 5, Pages 1085-1091<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fertstert.org\/article\/S0015-0282(15)00545-2\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Munne, S. et al. (2015). Blastocysts needed to transfer at&nbsp;least one euploid embryo: data from 10,852 pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) cycles. Fertility and&nbsp;Sterility, Volume 104, Issue 3, e13 &#8211; e14<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sartcorsonline.com\/rptCSR_PublicMultYear.aspx?reportingYear=2016\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SART USA National summary report for&nbsp;2016<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.illumina.com\/content\/dam\/illumina-marketing\/documents\/clinical\/rgh\/star-one-pager-web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">STAR \u2014 a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing pregnancy rates following VeriSeq\u2122 PGS versus standard morphology for&nbsp;elective single embryo transfer (eSET)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Q&amp;A<\/h2>\n<div>            <div class=\"qae-faqs-container qae-faqs-list-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"qe-faqs-filters-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"active\"><a class=\"qe-faqs-filter all-faqs\" href=\"#\" data-filter=\"*\">All<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li><a class=\"qe-faqs-filter\" href=\"#pgt-a\" data-filter=\".pgt-a\">PGT-A<\/a><\/li>\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<ol class=\"qe-faqs-index-list\"><div id=\"qe-faqs-index\" class=\"qe-faqs-index\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#qaef-12832\">My doctor in the Netherlands told me that US studies showed that sometimes chromosome abnormalities can fix themselves in early stages of development. Which means that genetic testing could potentially rule out embryos that could lead to pregnancies. Is it true?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#qaef-12834\">In what genetic lab the PGT-A will be performed? Is it the Igenomix Laboratory in Spain? Will you perform the regular PGT-A or the new one from Igenomix called &#8220;Embrace&#8221;, where only the culture environment is analysed?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#qaef-12846\">I wonder if you can see in his sperm if there\u2019s any defective genes coming from the sperm, for example ADHD or Asperger\u2019s syndrome? I have read that the autism  spectrum increases in the offspring the older the father is.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/ol>\t\t<div id=\"qaef-12832\" class=\"qe-faq-list pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-title\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fa fa-question-circle\"><\/i> My doctor in the Netherlands told me that US studies showed that sometimes chromosome abnormalities can fix themselves in early stages of development. Which means that genetic testing could potentially rule out embryos that could lead to pregnancies. Is it true?\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is true, embryos are dynamic structures and&nbsp;can change all the way. But&nbsp;the probability of PGT-A testing being wrong is pretty low, below 1-2%. But&nbsp;the benefit of testing is obvious in&nbsp;the older group of patients &#8211; you have much less chance that&nbsp;the pregnancy will not happen or&nbsp;that it will stop, leading to possible complications for&nbsp;the uterus and&nbsp;jeopardising your future chances for&nbsp;a baby, not to mention the psychological burden of that. Here I will be on&nbsp;the mother&#8217;s side, even&nbsp;if&nbsp;it means not giving a chance for&nbsp;some potential babies. But&nbsp;this is a highly disputable topic nowadays, you can find arguments both pro and&nbsp;contra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dr. Anna Gusareva<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<br \/><a class=\"qe-faq-top\" href=\"#qe-faqs-index\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-up\"><\/i> Back to Index<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"qaef-12834\" class=\"qe-faq-list pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-title\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fa fa-question-circle\"><\/i> In what genetic lab the PGT-A will be performed? Is it the Igenomix Laboratory in Spain? Will you perform the regular PGT-A or the new one from Igenomix called &#8220;Embrace&#8221;, where only the culture environment is analysed?\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Usually PGT-A by NGS method is conducted in&nbsp;the Igenomix laboratory in&nbsp;Russia or&nbsp;Genetico lab also in&nbsp;Russia. We use these providers for&nbsp;a long period of time and&nbsp;are quite satisfied with the results. Blastocysts will be biopsied and&nbsp;frozen subsequently, the result we expect in&nbsp;2 weeks. &#8220;Normal&#8221; PGT-A is the most reliable at&nbsp;the moment. Unfortunately Embrace results (testing of the spent culture media) are not so&nbsp;concordant with the real molecular karyotype of the embryo for&nbsp;now. We hope it will become more reliable in&nbsp;future but&nbsp;the current reality leaves us with only choice &#8211; if&nbsp;we need THE answer, trophectoderm biopsy + NGS is the best available approach. Our embryologists are very skilled in&nbsp;performing biopsy, we do it a lot, so&nbsp;you shouldn&#8217;t worry about us harming the embryo in&nbsp;any way or&nbsp;diminishing its potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Dr. Anna Gusareva<\/em><\/p>\n<br \/><a class=\"qe-faq-top\" href=\"#qe-faqs-index\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-up\"><\/i> Back to Index<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"qaef-12846\" class=\"qe-faq-list pgt-a\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-title\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fa fa-question-circle\"><\/i> I wonder if you can see in his sperm if there\u2019s any defective genes coming from the sperm, for example ADHD or Asperger\u2019s syndrome? I have read that the autism  spectrum increases in the offspring the older the father is.\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qe-list-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<p>Unfortunately current level of science doesn\u2019t give an opportunity to check spermatozoa for&nbsp;mutations before&nbsp;the fertilization. The checking could only be done on&nbsp;an embryo but&nbsp;only in&nbsp;such cases when&nbsp;we know that&nbsp;potential parents are known carriers of certain gene mutations. To check mutations in&nbsp;general is impossible for&nbsp;now.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dr. Anna Gusareva<\/em><\/p>\n<br \/><a class=\"qe-faq-top\" href=\"#qe-faqs-index\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-up\"><\/i> Back to Index<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 PGT-A, or&nbsp;preimplantation genetic testing for&nbsp;aneuploidies, is a comprehensive screening performed on&nbsp;embryos before&nbsp;transfer. This test reveals the set and&nbsp;structure of chromosomes (bearing genetic material) in&nbsp;each tested embryo. Normally, embryos have 23 pairs of chromosomes (euploid embryos). But&nbsp;nearly half of the embryos will have abnormal chromosome set (aneuploid embryos). When\u00a0an extra, or\u00a0missing chromosome, is found in\u00a0the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2222,"parent":0,"menu_order":41,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chromosomal Screening of Embryos \u2014 PGT-A - O.L.G.A. Fertility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/olgafertilityclinic.com\/en\/pgt-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chromosomal Screening of Embryos \u2014 PGT-A - O.L.G.A. 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