ESHRE PGD consortium best practice guidelines for organization of a PGD centre for PGD/preimplantation genetic screening^†

+ Author Affiliations

¹Reprogenetics LLC, Livingston, NJ 07039, USA
²Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
³Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University, Women's Hospital, Kiel, Germany
⁴Medical Genetics, University of Athens, “Aghia Sophia” Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
⁵Preimplantation Genetics, Melbourne IVF, Melbourne, Australia
⁶UCL Centre for PG & D, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
⁷Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, UCLH, Institute for Women's Health, London, UK

*Correspondence address. E-mail gharton@reprogenetics.com

↵† This Manuscript has not been externally peer-reviewed.
↵‡ Formerly Genetics and IVF Institute, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA.

Received July 16, 2010.
Revision received July 16, 2010.
Accepted July 22, 2010.

Abstract

In 2005, the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) PGD Consortium published a set of Guidelines for Best Practice PGD to give information, support and guidance to potential, existing and fledgling PGD programmes. Subsequent years have seen the introduction of new technologies as well as the evolution of current techniques. Additionally, in light of recent advice from ESHRE on how practice guidelines should be written/formulated, the Consortium believed it was timely to update the PGD guidelines. Rather than one document that covers all of PGD, the new guidelines are separated into four documents, including one relating to organization of the PGD centre and three relating to the methods used: DNA amplification, fluorescence in situ hybridization and biopsy/embryology. Here, we have updated the sections on organization of the PGD centre. One area that has continued to expand is Transport PGD, in which patients are treated at one IVF centre, whereas their gametes/embryos are tested elsewhere, at an independent PGD centre. Transport PGD/preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) has a unique set of challenges with respect to the nature of the sample and the rapid turn-around time required. PGS is currently controversial. Opinions of laboratory specialists and clinicians interested in PGD and PGS have been taken into account here. Current evidence suggests that PGS at cleavage stages is ineffective, but whether PGS at the blastocyst stage or on polar bodies might show improved delivery rates is still unclear. Thus, in this revision, PGS has been included. This document should assist everyone interested in PGD/PGS in developing the best laboratory and clinical practice possible.

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© The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

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