Impact of chromosomal polymorphisms on pregnancy outcomes after in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Chromosomal polymorphisms (CPs), subtle variations in chromosome structure, have been previously reported in individuals with infertility, particularly among men. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to analyse associations between CPs and pregnancy outcomes, focusing on spontaneous abortion rates.

Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases Medline, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases from inception to December 2023 from inception to December 2023 for articles reporting the impact of CPs on selected fertilisation and pregnancy outcomes among men/women/couples who had sought assisted reproductive technologies [ART; either in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)]. STATA 14.2 was used for all statistical analyses, applying the inverse variance method for pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic and the Chi-square tests.

Results: The literature search identified 17 eligible studies, mainly from China. The analysis showed that in ART procedures, CPs in the sperm of males with infertility were associated with a 7% reduction in the good-quality embryo rate (RR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96) and lower fertilisation (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.97) and cleavage (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99) rates.

Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of genetic factors in the assessment of recurrent pregnancy loss. Further research is warranted to elucidate specific polymorphic variations and their influence on reproductive outcomes.