Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation

 

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Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Vol. 13, No. 5, 317-328 (2006)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsgi.2006.04.002

Reviews

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-An Assisted Reproduction Technique That Should Make Us Cautious About Imprinting Deregulation

Nikos Nikolettos, MD

Byron Asimakopoulos, PhD

Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Ioannis S. Papastefanou, BSc, MSc

Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 68100 Alexandropolis, Greece ipapaste{at}med.duth.gr

Objective: Due to the extensive use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in assisted reproduction, not only among couples with severe male factor infertility problems, but to a broader scale, a lot of concern has been raised regarding the safety of the method and its implications in epigenic control and imprinting dysregulation. This review means to provide a comprehensive report of the published scientific data, outline putative associations between ICSI and epigenetic control,and suggest measures to improve the current state of affairs and reach more scientifically consolidated results.

Methods: This review was conducted by studying a broad spectrum of articles dealing with the subject of epigenetic control and its relation with ICSI. We tried to view the two subjects as parallel procedures that occur in the organism and by delineating the molecular and biochemical steps that comprise them make suggestions about putative associations between ICSI and epigenetic control.

Conclusions: No hard evidence presented at the moment can prove or disapprove ICSI's implications in epigenetic control. Nevertheless, we take the view that more comprehensive, long-term, and properly designed studies are imperative to be applied on a large-scale basis. We urge cautiousness, since the welfare of our progeny is what is at stake.

Key Words: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection • spigenetic control • assisted reproduction • imprinted genes • in vitro fertilization


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