Increased Y Chromosome Microdeletions in Cord Blood of Male Newborns From Assisted Reproductive Technology Compared to Natural Conception

Objectives: To investigate the incidence of Y chromosome microdeletions in male newborns conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and natural conception (NC). Methods: A total of 186 male newborns were recruited, including 35 conceived by ICSI, 37 conceived by IVF, and 114 conceived naturally. DNA was extracted from umbilical cord blood after birth. The Yq genetic status of the newborns was determined according to 18 Y-specific sequence tagging sites (STS) markers covering 3 azoospermia factor (AZF) sub-regions and internal control sequences. Results: Partial AZF microdeletions were identified in 8 of 35 (22.9%) ICSI newborns, 4 of 37 (10.8%) IVF newborns, and 1 of 114 (0.9%) NC newborns. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of newborns with partial Y chromosome microdeletions between the ICSI, IVF, and NC groups. When analyzed individually, only the SY114 and SY152 STS markers showed a statistically significant difference in incidence between the 3 cohorts. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the population of male children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART), particularly ICSI, is at an increased risk of genetic defect in the form of partial Y chromosome microdeletions. The growing population of ART-conceived children emphasizes the importance of studying the genetic repercussions of these procedures regarding the future fertility of males conceived in vitro.