Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 2 , Pages 592-597 , 15 January 2010

Monozygotic twinning is not increased after single blastocyst transfer compared with single cleavage-stage embryo transfer

  • Evangelosa G. Papanikolaou, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
    • Unit for Human Reproduction, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Papanikolaou Evangelos, M.D., Ph.D., Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium (TEL: +32 2 4261042, +32 2 477 6607).
    • ,
  • Human Fatemi, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
    • ,
  • Christos Venetis, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Unit for Human Reproduction, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Pato Donoso, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
    • ,
  • Efstratios Kolibianakis, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Unit for Human Reproduction, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Herman Tournaye, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
    • ,
  • Basil Tarlatzis, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Unit for Human Reproduction, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Paul Devroey, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Vrije Univestiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Received 4 August 2008 ,Revised 14 December 2008 ,Accepted 16 December 2008.

References 

  1. Papanikolaou EG, D'haeseleer E, Verheyen G, Van de Velde H, Camus M, Van Steirteghem A, et al. Live birth rate is significantly higher after blastocyst transfer than after cleavage-stage embryo transfer when at least four embryos are available on day-3 of embryo culture. A randomized prospective study. Hum Reprod. 2005;20:3198–3203
  2. Papanikolaou EG, Camus M, Kolibianakis EM, Van Lunduyt L, Van Steirteghem A, Devroey P. Transfer of a single blastocyst-stage embryo as compared with a single cleavage-stage embryo for in vitro fertilization. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:1139–1146
  3. da Costa Al AL, Abdelmassih S, de Oliveira FG, Abdelmassih V, Abdelmassih R, Nagy ZP, et al. Monozygotic twins and transfer at the blastocyst stage after ICSI. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:333–336
  4. Milki AA, Jun SH, Hinckley MD, Behr B, Giudice LC, Westphal LM. Incidence of monozygotic twinning with blastocyst transfer compared to cleavage-stage transfer. Fertil Steril. 2003;79:503–506
  5. Tarlatzis BC, Qublan HS, Sanopoulou T, Zepiridis L, Grimbizis G, Bontis J. Increase in the monozygotic twinning rate after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and blastocyst stage embryo transfer. Fertil Steril. 2002;77:196–198
  6. Behr B, Fisch JD, Racowsky C, Miller K, Pool TB, Milki AA. Blastocyst-ET and monozygotic twinning. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2000;17:349–351
  7. Blickstein I. Estimation of iatrogenic monozygotic twinning rate following assisted reproduction: Pitfalls and caveats. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;192:365–368
  8. Toledo MG. Is there increased monozygotic twinning after assisted reproductive technology?. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2005 Oct;45(5):360–364
  9. Papanikolaou EG, Kolibianakis EM, Tournaye H, Venetis CA, Fatemi H, Tarlatzis B, et al. Live birth rates after transfer of equal number of blastocysts or cleavage-stage embryos in IVF. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2008;23:91–99
  10. Peramo B, Ricciarelli E, Cuadros-Fernandez JM, Huguet E, Hernandez ER. Blastocyst transfer and monozygotic twinning. Fertil. Steril. 1999;72:1116–1117
  11. Sheiner E, Har-Vardi I, Potashnik G. The potential association between blastocyst transfer and monozygotic twinning. Fertil Steril. 2001;75:217–218
  12. Wright V, Schieve LA, Vahratian A, Reynolds MA. Monozygotic twinning associated with day 5 embryo transfer in pregnancies conceived after IVF. Hum Reprod. 2004;19:1831–1836
  13. Skiadas CC, Missmer SA, Benson CB, Gee RE, Racowsky C. Risk factors associated with pregnancies containing a monochorionic pair following assisted reproductive technologies. Hum Reprod. 2008;23:1366–1371
  14. Elizur SE, Levron J, Shrim A, Sivan E, Dor J, Shulman A. Monozygotic twinning is not associated with zona pellucida micromanipulation procedures but increases with high-order multiple pregnancies. Fertil Steril. 2004;82:500–501
  15. Schachter M, Raziel A, Friedler S, Strassburger D, Bern O, Ron-El R. Monozygotic twinning after assisted reproductive techniques: a phenomenon independent of micromanipulation. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:1264–1269
  16. Alikani M, Noyes N, Cohen J, Rosenwaks Z. Monozygotic twinning in the human is associated with the zona pellucida architecture. Hum Reprod. 1994;9:1318–1321
  17. Carrillo-Vadillo R, García-Lozano JC, Lozano Arana MD, Moliní Rivera JL, Sánchez Martín P, Antiñolo G. Two sets of monozygotic twins after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and transfer of two embryos on day 2. Fertil Steril. 2007;88(1676):e3–e5
  18. Abusheikha N, Salha O, Sharma V, Brinsden P. Monozygotic twinning and IVF/ICSI treatment: a report of 11 cases and review of literature. Hum Reprod Update. 2000;6:396–403
  19. Saito H, Tsutsumi O, Noda Y, Ibuki Y, Hiroi M. Do assisted reproductive technologies have effects on the demography of monozygotic twinning?. Fertil Steril. 2000;74:178–179
  20. Cassuto G, Chavrier M, Menezo Y. Culture conditions and not prolonged culture time are responsible for monozygotic twinning in human in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2003;80:462–463
  21. Menezzo YZ, Sakkas D. Monozygotic twinning: is it related to apoptosis in the embryo?. Hum Reprod. 2002;17:247–248
  22. Steinman G. Mechanisms of twinning. II. Laterality and intercellular bonding in monozygotic twinning. J Reprod Med. 2001;46:473–479
  23. Fauser BC, Devroey P. Reproductive biology and IVF: ovarian stimulation and luteal phase consequences. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2003;14:236–242
  24. Lane M, Gardner DK. Embryo culture medium: which is the best?. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2007;21:83–100
  25. Moayeri SE, Behr B, Lathi RB, Westphal LM, Milki AA. Risk of monozygotic twinning with blastocyst transfer decreases over time: an 8-year experience. Fertil Steril. 2007;87:1028–1032
  26. Hall J. Twinning. Lancet. 2004;362:735–743

 E.G.P. has nothing to disclose. H.F. has nothing to disclose. C.V. has nothing to disclose. P.D. has nothing to disclose. E.K. has nothing to disclose. H.T. has nothing to disclose. B.T. has nothing to disclose. P.D. has nothing to disclose.

PII: S0015-0282(08)04773-0

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.12.088

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 2 , Pages 592-597 , 15 January 2010

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