Chromosomal karyotype in chorionic villi of recurrent spontaneous abortion patients

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a multifactorial disease of which the exact causes are still unknown. In the current study, we aimed to analyze the distribution of abnormal embryonic karyotypes in RSA. 781 RSA patients of 17 hospitals in Shanghai from January 2014 to September 2016 were enrolled. Fetal villus tissues were collected during uterine curettage and then cultured in situ for karyotyping. All of the 781 cases were successfully cultured. There were 393 cases of abnormal karyotypes, accounting for 50.3% of the total cases. Women with abnormal embryonic karyotype were significantly older compared to those with normal karyotype (P < 0.001). The majority of patients with abnormal karyotype fell among age groups of 25-29 and 30-34. There were 247 cases of aneuploidy, accounting for 62.8% of the total abnormal karyotype cases. Autosomal trisomy was the primary form of aneuploidy (189/247, 76.5%), and the most common types were trisomy-16 (n = 69), trisomy-22 (n = 28), trisomy-21 (n = 21), trisomy-15 (n = 15), and trisomy-13 (n = 10). Abnormal karyotype is a major factor related to RSA. Further studies are needed to elucidate the etiology of RSA in order to achieve more effective prevention and treatment.