Risk analysis of chromosomal abnormalities of conception products in non-developing pregnancy: assisted reproductive technologies or natural conception

Background. The identification and cataloguing of genetic abnormalities incompatible with embryonic development is an important task of medical genetics. Scientists’ opinions on the differences in the risk of karyotype pathologies in early pregnancy loss in the population using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in the general population differ. Objective. To analyze the risk of chromosomal abnormalities of the products of conception in non-developing pregnancy in cases of spontaneous onset and when using ART to increase the effectiveness of genetic counseling and prevention of reproductive losses. Material and methods. The results of a cytogenetic study of 943 samples of abortive material obtained from 2018 to 2022 by the Medical and Genetic Consultation of the Primorsky Regional Perinatal Center, Vladivostok, were retrospectively analyzed. Results. Karyotype abnormalities in the spontaneous pregnancy group occurred in 63.3% of cases, and in the group where ART was used — in 61.1% of cases, however, no statistically significant difference was found. Differences in the frequency of occurrence of possible types of anomalies are shown. The most common anomaly in both groups under consideration was aneuploidy. Statistically significant differences in the age of women between the groups who used and did not use ART were revealed. There was a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities in women over 36 years of age in both groups compared. The presence of previous spontaneous abortions (SA) increased the risk of karyotype pathologies during natural conception, but did not show statistical significance in the ART group. Conclusion. The study revealed a higher frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in the natural conception group compared to the group using ART, which may be related to the selection of gametes and embryos. However, the distribution of the types of chromosomal abnormalities in these groups is different. It was found that with a history of CA and an increase in the age of patients, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos in both study groups increases. Despite the fact that today there is no clear opinion on the causes of the development of chromosomal pathologies, the data obtained from genetic testing of conception products provide valuable information for finding methods to minimize the risk of karyotype pathologies and reproductive losses.